Eternal Darkness
by BluRaven401
Summary: Chapter 20 Quote: “Aro placed a hand on the small vampire's shoulder and the screaming came to an end. Edward looked up at Kyra and immediately wished he hadn't. She was staring right at him. No. THROUGH him. Her eyes were blank and distant...” EdwardXOC
1. Moonset

**Eternal Darkness**

_by BluRaven401_

_Disclaimer__: All characters, with my OCs as exceptions, are property of Stephenie Meyer._

_Timeline: Starts just after Edward leaves Bella in "New Moon."  
_

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Chapter 1: Moonset

Edward sighed. Everything he just told her, however false, was breaking her heart, and his. He turned to see her face one last time, then continued further into the woods, not being able to bare the sight of the pain he was causing her. Once her chocolate-brown eyes and her long, straight, dark brown hair were no longer in sight, he made a trip back around, heading to her house in through the rain.

The house was empty. Charlie was not home from work yet and would not be for miles. Edward quickly climbed up to his beloved's window, pushing it open with little to no force, and stepping through, making no noise at all. It would not take him long here because he knew exactly what he was looking for: anything that would remind her of his existence.

He quickly searched the room, finding trivial things that could trigger her memory. He walked over to the side of her bed and took her picture album in his hands. He opened it. The first picture was of him. It was the first picture she had ever taken of him. He smirked, remembering his own reaction when she asked him if the picture would develop normally.

Edward's smile quickly faded. Though he had all the time in the world, the sooner he was finished here the better. He took out the picture, but left the note that was below it. He then took the picture she had taken of him and Charlie, and the picture Charlie had taken of Edward and his daughter.

He closed the album and placed it exactly where it had been before. He looked at her side table, seeing the plane tickets that Carlisle and Esme gave her for her birthday. He reached out for it, then pulled his hand away. He turned to leave, but remembered one last trinket.

Her CD player was lying open on the side of her bed. He walked over and sighed, running his fingers around the edges of the CD he had made for her. It had songs that he made for her, including the lullaby he had sang to her almost a year ago. "Like I never existed..." he said, repeating the words he had spoken to her.

Edward nodded, making up his mind, returning the CD to its case and placing it in his pocket, arranging the CD player and its wires in the same position it was in before he had disturbed it.

He could hear Charlie, wondering why the lights were on and why the door was unlocked but there was no sign of his daughter. Edward nodded, rushing over to the window. Charlie was on his way upstairs. Edward turned to take one last look at the room before launching himself off of the windowsill.

"Bella?" called Charlie's voice as he opened the door. The room was dark and empty. Charlie panicked, closing the door behind him as he jolted down the steps to get to the phone. The window was closed, but a puddle of water was left at the base of the windowsill.

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_Author's Note__: Sorry it's such a short first chapter...and sorry it sucks...it is my first after all...I promise it will get better.  
_


	2. Icy Haze

_Author's Note__: I hate writing the next chapter. I always worry whether or not I'm going to lose my readers' attention by making a mistake or changing my writing style mid-story. I hope you guys will stay with this and sorry it's so late. As weird as it sounds, I have more time and more inspiration when I'm at school. Anyway, it took a while but here it is._

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Chapter 2: Icy Haze

It was times like this when Edward wished that he were able to sleep. A flight from Washington to Europe would take hours, but to a vampire, one that had not fed for weeks, it would seem much longer.

He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the scattered thoughts of all the different people around him. Excitement about going on vacation was a common theme on their minds here. Edward also picked out boredom, airsickness, and deep worry about surviving the trip, making it to their thirty-second birthday. The irony of that flickered in his own mind, almost causing the demon inside of him to smirk devilishly.

Across the isle, there were the thoughts of one person that slightly interested him. She was sitting alone, looking up at the top paneling of the plane. She had the same look on her face that Bella had on her own. This girl was experiencing fear and pain; her heart had been broken very recently.

Edward frowned and sighed, cursing himself for what he knew he was putting Bella through, wishing they had never met. He looked down at his feet before looking out his window. Through the stars, Edward relived the events of about two nights ago. He closed his eyes and tried to revert his focus back to the mystery girl's thoughts in an attempt to get his mind off of his own conflict.

The girl let out a short, sharp exhale as she held back the emotion that wanted to explode out of her chest. Edward looked over at her. Kyra was her name. Her long brown hair was left loose and pushed over her right shoulder. Suddenly, her name was called and she opened her dazzling jade green eyes. The emotion on Kyra's face changed completely as her friend returned from the restroom. This girl, Nicole, according to Kyra's thoughts, was already homesick.

Almost instantly, Kyra's touching words and soothing voice calmed Nicole's anxiety. Edward smirked. This girl had put aside her own feelings to calm a friend. Without warning, Kyra looked up at him and their eyes met. He was caught completely of guard and quickly retreated his gaze to his feet, then shifted himself towards his window again.

Kyra smiled to herself as she continued to observe him. Her thoughts complimented his perfect face and god-like features. They also questioned what she had seen in her ex-boyfriend. These compliments, however kind and flattering, only fueled Edward's annoyance. How and why did humans allow themselves to fall in and out of love so easily?

_'He seems sad...'_ Kyra's thoughts echoed loudly in Edward's mind, turning the thoughts of all the others into muffled slurs of nonsense. _'I wonder what's on his mind…he's screaming out in pain. He must have had his heart broken, too…but what idiot would break __**his**__ heart?'_ she asked herself.

After that last comment, Edward quickly turned his head towards her, sending an icy glare through his jet black eyes. They seemed to pierce right through Kyra's jade ones because she closed them and turned away as if she were in pain. Looking down at her lap, while playing with her fingers, she wondered why he seemed so angry all of a sudden. It was as if he heard her thoughts.

Kyra dared herself to look over at him only to meet his icy glare once again. She winced. The annoyance and anger were just as intense as the first glare, maybe even more so. This time, however, she built up the strength to put on a weak smile and wave at him before slowly looking away.

Her friend Nicole looked over to see why Kyra was waving and was immediately sent into a panic. She turned away and lowered herself in her seat before looking up at Kyra. "Who is that guy? What's wrong with him? Why is he staring at us like that? Did you say something to him? What's going-"

"It's nothing...I think he's just hurting..." Kyra said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't pay any mind, just take a deep breath and get some rest. It's a long flight...okay?" Nicole nodded and returned to a slightly calmer state though she did not dare see if the boy was still glaring. Kyra, however, looked up one last time. The boy had his eyes closed and he seemed to be breathing deeply to calm himself down. Kyra observed for a moment with a look on her face that showed she knew something no one else was aware of. She then closed her own eyes, lying back on the comfortable leather chair and slowly drifting off.

Edward gripped the arms of his seat tightly, closing his eyes. _'Just a few more hours.'_ He could survive until then, or at least he hoped that he could. Kyra was dangerously close to setting him off the edge for insulting Bella, but he contained himself. He knew it was just the two weeks deprivation of blood that made him react so harshly. He would simply have to contain himself for the remainder of the flight.

Just as he was calming from his out-of-proportion anger, Nicole stood up and turned on the air conditioning vent above Kyra and herself. Once again, Edward dug his nails into the arms of his seat.

The flow of air that was suddenly forced towards him carried a familiar, yet somehow stronger, aroma. Nicole had set the air conditioner to its highest setting, which was now blowing at Kyra in an angle that pushed her scent towards Edward. The sweet smell of her blood matched only one other. A think haze built up in his mind, and the thoughts of the surrounding innocents became indistinct echoes and whispers. He could no longer think straight. There was a dry ache of thirst in his throat, a sudden tightening of every muscle in his body, and an excess flow of venom in his mouth.

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_Author's Note__: I hope you liked it. Read&Review! Thanks!_


	3. Silent Storm

_Author's Note__: Sorry this took a while. I never was a good writer. Thank you for commenting. Much thanks to Winser. Big thanks to Romance-Oubliee and Mishimoto Sakura. _

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Chapter 3: Silent Storm

Edward was suddenly whisked away to an empty plane. Empty, except for Kyra and himself. He was standing so close to her that their skin was mere centimeters from touching.

He leaned down, whispering details of her very near death into her ear. He took her in his arms. She was frozen in both fear and lust. Edward ran his fingers through her hair, then over her soft skin at the arch of her neck.

In one swift motion, his razor sharp teeth were pressing hard against her throat, creating a crescent shaped wound in her skin. The hot flow of crimson liquid felt soothing as it streamed down his throat.

Kyra did not even have time to scream. He imagined the taste of her skin and blood, which matched that of Bella, just as her scent had. Intoxicating. Edward continued to drink, draining her of every last drop of blood, feeling her pulse weaken beneath his lips. The sound of her slowing heartbeat echoed through the emptiness. His black eyes became cold, bloodshot, and crimson. Murderous.

He growled as he ripped his teeth out of her skin. Her eyes were closed and her heart was frozen in time, yet he felt no remorse, only a slight satisfaction. Edward released Kyra and watched as her now lifeless body sank to the ground at his feet.

Turning around, he noticed that they were no longer alone on that plane. The other passengers looked up at Edward in terror. The murderous intent was evident on his lifeless face. His teeth were stained red with Kyra's blood, some of which dripped down the sides of his mouth.

"No witnesses." He spoke aloud in a playful, yet cruel singsong voice. This warning sent a panic throughout the first class portion of the plane. Screams and sobs replaced excitement and eagerness in the minds of the passengers. Edward's inner demon smirked and licked his lips. This plane was not going to land. There would be no survivors. Edward lunged.

-

Forcing himself out of his wonderful yet horrible daydream, Edward was overwhelmed with a feeling of great unease. Two weeks it had been since the last hunt. The hunger, or thirst rather, was usually demonstrated in normal impulses that Edward could easily ignore.

What was it about this girl that changed that? Perhaps he miscalculated the amount of time that had passed since the last hunt. The alternative to this was impossible. There was nothing _**that**_ important about this girl that separated her from the others, except a scent very close to Bella's.

But what did that mean? Edward turned his gaze cautiously towards her. There _**was**_ something. There had to be something. He had not felt this way since Bella's first day of school. Edward sighed, and then turned to the stars.

He was taken, once more, to an identical yet empty plane in his mind where he and Bella stood together, too close for comfort. Before he could relive his marvelous, hideous dream with Bella as his co-star this time, Edward closed his eyes and held his face in his hands. Slowly moving his hands up over his forehead and through his hair, he wished he were anywhere but there.

To Edward's surprise, the feeling was subsiding; the intoxication aroma was subsiding. Relived, but curious, he turned to Kyra.

'_Let's turn this off…'_ she thought to herself, standing up and doing just that. _'It's getting…' _she moved her eyes in Edward's direction for a split second, then turned away when she noticed his gaze on her. _'…dangerous…'_

Edward noticed her movement as if it had occurred before him in slow motion. How did she know? What was it exactly that she _**did**_ know?

Without looking back at him, Kyra sat back down, smoothed out her long, black skirt, and lay back, closing her pure jade eyes again.

Edward was slightly more relaxed even though her scent was still in the air. He kept his eyes forward but kept his focus on Kyra's mind.

'_I was wondering why it was winter in my dream…'_ she thought, giggling in her mind. Her face, however, was blank and emotionless. Unreadable. Even to Edward.

The red-haired Cullen boy could read her thoughts without any problems but something deep inside of him was telling him that he was mistaken. That he was somehow being deceived.

He sighed and shook his head. It did not matter. The worst was over and soon the flight would be as well. He would go on a hunt to ease his thirst very soon and he would never see this girl again. Everything was going to be fine. It was almost over.

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_Author's Note__: That's all for now. I hope you liked it. Read and review! I would like to hear your opinions. Also if there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please tell me. The grammar/spell check on my computer is not very good._


	4. Morning Frost

_Author's Note: Thank you all for reviewing and staying with this. SabakuNoGaara426, thank you for reviewing. I'll try to keep it up. I really hope I can. cAndyStik, I'm glad you like it so far. I like EdwardxOC stories too. It's so sad that there are so little of them. I'm glad you found mine and I hope I won't disappoint in the future. Mishimoto Sakura, thank you for the compliment. I'm glad that I'm keeping your attention. Romance-Obliee, thank you for reviewing. I know exactly what you mean. I like to take my time to get it just right but I also worry that I might be taking too long. I'm glad this has sparked your interest. hotredhead, thank you for reviewing as well. I'm glad you like. _

_Thank you all for dealing with me. Sorry I like to reply to review's individually so everyone knows that I read their review and I respect and cherish their opinions_.

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Chapter 4: Morning Frost

Finally off of the plane, Edward moved himself as far away from there as he could; as far away from the humans as possible. He still had not learned from the last time he went a long period of time without hunting. He nearly killed Bella last time and this time...

He shook his head slightly, then turned around, instantly picking the girl with the light brown hair and jade green eyes out of the crowd. He sighed and looked up at the sky. Very soon, the sun would rise. He had to move quickly. He took a piece of paper out of the back pocket of his black pants. After unfolding it and revealing an address, he sped off to find it.

In the end it was not difficult. The large mansion at which he arrived was almost identical to the house back in Forks, Washington. There were large glass windows, currently facing the opposite side of the soon-to-be raising sun, that complimented the white exterior. From those windows, Edward could see the matching interior. In so many ways, it felt like home, but in so many others, it did not.

Edward ambled to the door; having beaten the sun by about 5 minutes, and was greeted there by the smaller of his two sisters. She was petite, and, some would say, pixie-like, with midnight spiky hair. She had opened the large doors before Edward had even walked the entirety of the driveway. She was wearing the stunning red dress that Edward himself had bought for her (after she begged and pleaded with him for it, having no money of her own at the time).

Edward looked up at her and was surprised by what he saw. Her eyes, now butterscotch in color from a recent hunt, were clearly abundant in curiosity and worry. After a split second, they filled with relief. Edward took a step back, obviously horrified by the things he read from Alice's mind. She took a step back as well, ashamed by what it was.

'_I...I saw it...over 300 deaths on your hands. There was blood everywhere. The plane was stained bright red, that same crimson liquid dripping from your mouth. There were no survivors. It would take you days to recover from the plane crash and come back to us...'_

"Alice..." Edward's voice was shocked and hurt.

'_I saw it...I saw you Edward...it was like I was there…watching while you…'_

"I would never-"

'_Yes you would...'_ Alice mentally interrupted. "Because if you would n..." her voice dropped. _'I saw it...that means that...for a second...you made the decision to...'_

"But I didn't." Edward interrupted, looking down at Alice's feet.

Alice nodded slowly and stepped to the side to let him in. Without looking at her, he crossed the threshold. Alice bit her lip. She knew he was mad, or maybe it was disappointment, but she was a cheerful person. She could not stay sad knowing what had _not _happened.

"...well...your room is the first one on the right…Emmett moved your things already." Alice said, her voice full of cheer again already. Edward looked back at her and nodded, then began walking up stairs. He stopped short and turned, looking down at her.

"Where is everyone?" he asked, only hearing one pair of thoughts.

"Esme left to get some things. She's restoring this place and some others..." Alice smiled, her eyes scanning the walls quickly. "You should have seen it before." She giggled. "Carlisle went to the hospital."

"Naturally." Edward smirked. Alice returned with a genuine smile. It was as if he was not even mad at her anymore.

"Jasper is in my room, and Rosalie left with Emmett yesterday."

"Where?"

"From what I can see, Africa." _'On another honeymoon.'_

Edward frowned. "I see." He turned and began to admire the texture of the walls, the old paintings that hung above him, the ornate railing of the staircase, and the color scheme of the furniture.

Alice smiled, strolling over to the bottom of the staircase and looking around as well. After a few seconds, she turned to Edward. "It feels like home…doesn't it?"

Edwards exhaled sharply out of slight humor, taking a seat on one of the steps. "Not in the slightest."

Alice frowned and turned to him. She then closed her eyes, looking down while she played with her fingers. She looked up again and walked up the stairs, taking a seat next to him. She gave him a weak smile, then laid her head on his shoulder.

"It's strange…the things you miss…" he told her in a soft whisper. His eyes burned with tears that would never come. Alice said nothing in reply. Edward nodded. "I miss her, too." he said, replying to his sister's thoughts. She sighed.

"It's fine." he answered once again. "There's no hiding what we all feel, Alice." He commented. "There are some days…that it feels I won't survive the sadness…"

_'You're making a mistake.'_ Alice thought accidentally, lifting her head from his shoulder to see his responsive expression.

"Trust me." Edward started, standing up. "This is the one thing, for Bella, that I'm doing right." He turned and climbed the remainder of the stairs, making his way to his new sanctuary.

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_Author's Note: I apologize if this chapter was bad. I think the next chapter is going to be a bit shorter then they have been. I'm not sure yet but I'm apologizing in advanced. It's already half finished so I'll post it in a couple of days. Read and Review please!_


	5. Crimson Echo

_Author's Note__: Entar, Princess-Atemu, thank you for reviewing. Lily-Ride-Cullen, I really appreciate the review. I looked back through my chapters and noticed that I bagged on myself...a lot...lol. I do that a lot so that if people agree with my criticism of myself it doesn't bother me so much...is that weird? Anyway, I've always struggled with descriptions. I'm glad you think I'm a good writer. It really means a lot. RealityxFairytales, thank you for replying to my fanfic. Yours is really good too. I'm glad I'm getting the characters right and I'm glad you like it. Mishimoto Sakura, I will take that bet. And if Edward does end up liking Kyra then I'll post more chapters, lol...okay, that was pointless too...lol  
_

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Chapter 5: Crimson Echo

Hours passed outside his walls as he sat in silence. The house was now full of restless minds that wanted desperately to adjust to this new life away from Forks; away from Bella. Edward could read that Alice was hurting more than the others; although, it was safe to say that Edward suffered the most out of this, second only to Bella herself. Bella, however, could easily fall in love again. Edward, could not. In a few short days, he felt like his life had ended, metaphorically of course.

It was like some sort of a daydream that visited Edward's mind while he sat alone, waiting out the darkness of this new moon night.

Edward was now standing in a dark alley. The midnight blue, starlit sky above him was glowing with the light provided by the suddenly full moon overhead. All was quiet here, yet, it was not a calm that swept this place; there was a great deal of tension, death, fear, and for a second, Edward could have sworn he smelled blood.

He turned to his left. Beside Edward stood a very tall, very burly, and to some people, very intimidating, young man. Edward knew him to have dimples which currently did not appear on the boy's serious face. His eyes were a very light golden color, butterscotch, and the boy seemed to be holding his breath.

"Emmett?" Edward asked. His voice was equipped with an abundance of curiosity and confusion. His brother did not even flinch in response to Edward's voice. He sighed and continued to look around. If this was a memory, it did not occur that long ago. He looked down at himself and noticed that he was wearing a jet black, buttoned down shirt that Alice had bought for him about five years ago. This memory had to have occurred within that time period; very recent.

Edward's attention quickly moved from the ornate black buttons on his shirt to the object at his feet. In the darkness, it appeared to be a ball, or some other round object. To the left of this, lay the body from which it had come. Edward tapped the round object with his foot and it rolled to the side. Its sharp teeth shined brightly, the moonlight reflecting off of them. He squinted in further confusion and looked up. There was a man standing over a girl, her entire body drenched in blood. This man was wearing some type of lab coat, his hair was blond, and his height matched that of Edward.

_'Carlisle...'_

This was so familiar. It was definitely a memory. I had to be. Edward could see everything, feel everything, and smell everything, as if it were happening right at that moment. But how could he have forgotten something that had happened so recently? Edward could still remember the day that he was turned. He could easily relive the pain of the transformation in his mind if he cared to. Why did he not recognize this trivial memory?

Edward attempted to step forward, to get just a bit closer so he could see the girl properly. He thought that maybe seeing her face could jog his memory; yet he could not close the gap between them. His arms would not move with him. He looked down at them. They were being held by two strong hands, larger than his. Emmett was holding him firmly in place. This annoyingly added to Edward's confusion. Suddenly, and unwillingly, Edward began lashing out furiously, trying to escape his brother's clutches, and he was not even sure why...at first...

That confusion did not last very long. Edward was tackled by the strong, intoxicating scent that fueled his lashing; a scent that he recognized from just a few nights ago.

"Hold him!" Carlisle said, looking up at them. His mouth was stained red with the girl's blood. He was holding her with his teeth hovering above the place where blood was streaming out of her shoulder. Edward looked down at the girl's face. She was probably ten or eleven years old and she had short light brown hair. Unexpectedly, her eyelids began to lift. As the memory faded to black and the walls of Edward's room slowly returned, the last image he caught sight of was that of two jade green half circles.

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_Author's Note__: I told you it was going to be kind of short. That's why I posted it so quickly. Anyway, Read&Review!_


	6. First Light

_Author's Note__: Thanks for replying guys. I'm glad you like it so far. ^_^ I'm really sorry if this chapter is bad and I'm sorry if you waited a long time for it. I was in the ER the other day and I just haven't felt up to it. Apparently I'm anemic. You know how your blood count should be over 12? Well mine was 8...so I've been feeling dizzy and lightheaded and I couldn't really focus when making this chapter. After I feel better I'll look it over and maybe make some changes if you guys think I should._

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Chapter 6: First Light

Edward sat completely still. For the first time in a very long time, his world was completely silent. The thoughts of his family were being blocked out as he tried to wrap his mind around this strange, forgotten memory.

He had once thought that vampires could only fall in love one time throughout their entire existence. He had fallen in love with Bella, not only because her mind was a mystery to him, but because her scent nearly drove him mad. If he did indeed meet Kyra first, five years ago, then it was _her _scent that he was intoxicated by. The scent of Bella's blood reminded him of Kyra's, not the other way around.

Taking a hold of reality once more, he found that the sun was already shining behind the closed curtain of the window in his bedroom. He stood up. Though he remained dazed and confused, he was able to hear his family's thoughts once more.

'_Edward?' _he heard Jasper acknowledge him in thought. His voice was slightly forceful, as if you had repeated himself. _'What's wrong?' _Jasper could read Edward's confusion and his craving for answers. In seconds, Jasper was standing in Edward's doorway.

The baffled vampire looked up, his eyes still very dark from blood deprivation. "I'm fine…" he whispered flatly. He sighed and crossed his arms. "Carlisle left already." he stated, not being able to read his adoptive father's mind. He was much too far away already. "I need to speak with him…"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Jasper asked, noticing his brother's dark eyes.

Edward immediately hid those eyes away from his 'brother' and turned around, thinking twice. Going to a hospital would not be the best thing to do just yet. A place full of injured and possibly bleeding humans would not be a wise visit. The smell and possible sight of blood would surely drive him to mass murder. But he needed answers. Edward could never stand being confused. He always craved answers. He yearned to know everything. He was determined to learn more as soon as possible.

"I think I'll go see him..."

"But..."

Without another word, Edward sped passed him. Jasper raced to the staircase but by the time he had gotten there, the front door slammed behind Edward. Jasper sighed, listening to the silver Volvo start up and take off down the road in a blurry silver fog. Edward always was the fastest in the family. Jasper would never have been able to stop him anyhow.

-

It did not take Edward very long to get to the hospital in his own car. He had even beaten Carlisle there. He was only a couple of minutes away by the looks of it. Edward waited impatiently in the car. One of his hands was uncontrollably and vigorously tapping the right side of the steering wheel. After about a minute, he sighed and lay his forehead on the steering wheel, very lightly so as not to beep the horn.

_'Found it.'_ Edward's head shot up as he spotted Carlisle car, parking a few spaces down from him. Edward was out of the car and leaning against the hood in seconds.

Carlisle closed his car door and glanced over at Edward. He then nodded and motioned Edward to follow. Those subtle movements were far too fast for human eyes.

Edward was led to a secluded part of the hospital building. They would soon be tearing this part of the hospital's structure down and reconstructing these, as well as other, parts of the building. No one had spent time in this section for months.

"You should have gone on a hunt and taken care of your hunger before coming here." Carlisle said, motioning Edward to sit on the white leather chair at the center of the dusty room.

"I needed to ask you something..." Edward was hesitant but after a few minutes of silence, he sat down. "Do you remember a girl with light brown hair and green eyes? We..._you_...saved her from turning about 5 years ago..."

"I do..."

"Well I did not." Edward crossed his arms in tone and facial expression were both clearly annoyed.

"The girl with green eyes-"

"Jade green." Edward corrected quietly.

Carlisle half smiled and nodded once. "Why bring her so suddenly?"

Edward cleared his throat and shifted himself in the chair. "...she was on the plane that I took here."

"I see. Alice...Alice told me you almost-"

"She spoke to me as well. I'm not here to talk about that."

"Very well. What is it that you want to know exactly?"

"Her blood...her scent almost matches Bella completely...if not more intoxicating..."

Carlisle said nothing. He simply nodded.

"I fell in love with Bella because..."

There was a long silence.

Edward shook his head, unwillingly changing the subject. "Who attacked her?"

"Newborns." Carlisle answered flatly. "There's no 'why' attached to them. They kill first and-"

"I know." Edward lifted his head. "Emmett was there."

_'I beg your pardon?'_

"_Why _was Emmett there?"

"We stumbled upon the other vampires feeding on that girl while on our way back to the old manor." Carlisle explained. "You, Emmett, and Jasper accompanied me."

"I didn't see Jasper."

"I asked him to go on ahead. Emmett had just come back from a hunt and...I _thought _that you would be able to contain yourself." Carlisle continued. "I thought you had more self control than Jasper did. I did not even consider the power that the scent of this particular girl's blood would have over you."

Edward broke another long silence with a subject change.

"She's within miles of this place..." He looked at Carlisle. "And she's been here."

Carlisle inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Do _not _seek her out. Not until you have hunted." Edward nodded and stood up. "I have seen what her scent does to you when-"

"Thank you. I've seen it, too." Edward interrupted before quickly leaving the room in a speed that not even Carlisle could follow.

Carlisle sighed and closed his eyes for a short second. When he looked out the window and into the shaded parking lot. After only one more second passed, the silver Volvo had disappeared.

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_Author's Note__: That's all. Read and Review!_


	7. Darkness Falls

_Author's Note__: Thank you guys for replying ^_^_

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Chapter 7: Darkness Falls

Edward had been watching this one with great interest for quite some time, waiting for the right moment to move in. She wandered away from the rest of the herd. Not a very smart idea to go off alone at this time of night. After all, she was not the only one that would be hunting.

He traced his tongue over the inside of his bottom teeth through a subtle smirk. Mountain lions were his favorite. Everyone knew that. He could already taste the lioness's sweet warm blood sliding smoothly down his throat.

Thirst burned in this throat as he waited in complete silence and darkness. Both Edward and the lioness were filled with murderous intent. It only intensified as the two creatures closed in on their individual prey. The lioness pounced onto the creature that she had been followed after letting out a loud, victorious growl.

Edward was no longer breathing. He just stared out at her through the darkness of the shadowy patch of trees. He watched as his prey ripped out the throat of her own. As blood accumulated at her paws from the wound of her victim, Edward could wait no longer.

Only a short second passed. Edward's loud growl and the lioness's whimper both shattered the silence. Then, all was still.

-

A thick black folder was resting on her lap; her long light brown hair touched the surface lightly. She opened it and skimmed through the many pages. Most of the pictures were of people. They were all extremely detailed, colorful, and professionally done over all.

Though most of the pages were portraits, there were two other sections with labels that marked them as 'Places' and 'Dreams.' She licked her finger lightly and began flipping through the pages in the 'Places' location slowly. After about fifteen pages of the many different parts of Nicole's mansion, her hand fell on a darker page with the word 'Italy' at the very top. She took the picture out of the folder to get a good look at it.

This place was frighteningly familiar, yet, at the same time, she had no idea where this was. The alley was narrow and lighted only by the full moon in the deep blue, starlit sky above. The walls of the building that created the alleyway were a faded purple color.

At the end of the alley, there was a single lantern on the road across the street. At the center of the alleyway there was a dark, shaded-in area. Kyra squinted. This was one of the pictures she had drawn about four or five years in the past. She could not tell was it was exactly but she could tell it was some sort of liquid...maybe water or gasoline.

She quickly ruled those two possibilities out. There were no signs of water sources anywhere throughout the picture and, compared to the width of the trash cans towards the alley exit, the place was far too narrow for a car to have possibly been parked there.

Kyra nearly fell off of the bench she was sitting on when the drawing was snatched from her fingers. Her jade green eyes looked up into two liquid blue ones. The man above her smirked. Kyra glared and closed her folder. She then lifted it and swung at his arm.

"Dork. Give that back." she said in a demanding, yet somehow quiet voice.

"Ow." he said in a sarcastic voice before looking at the picture. "You did _not_ draw this...it's to good. Since when have you had talent?"

Kyra stood up. Even though they were in a crowded mall, she was prepared to do anything to get that particular drawing back. "Since I was nine actually...now give it, before I sick your sister on you." she warned with a slightly smug look on her face.

"No need for that." he said nervously, looking down at it again. "Hey." He sounded surprisingly and annoyingly excited. "I know where this is!"

"Really. Well I can't remember. I drew it a while ago." Kyra said, jumping over the bench and grabbing for it. He simply turned and stepped up onto the edge of the large fountain behind the bench.

"How could you have drawn this 'a while ago?' This is a picture of the alley behind the hotel...I remember going back there last year and getting really freaked out. You haven't even been there yet. How's that possible?"

"I told you. I've been here before." After saying that, she tucked her hair behind her ears and put out her hand, silently demanding the picture back. He sighed, and walking in the opposite direction. "Damien..." she warned, grasping the back of his shirt.

Damien was five years older than her and about a foot taller. She stretched out, leaning against his back as she reached for the picture which was now being held over his head. "I didn't know that."

Kyra got in front of him. "I told you that yesterday." She grabbed for the picture again, only to be pushed away. Damien held his hand out in front of him and turned to his side, looking down at the picture while holding Kyra back by her shoulder.

"That shows how much I listen...was I watching TV?" The sad thing was, he sounded completely serious.

That was it. She gave up. Kyra grabbed his hand and ranked it away from her shoulder before tossing his arm aside. "Whatever...keep it." she said walking over to the bench. She bent down and picked up her folder, then sat down, placing it back on her lap.

Kyra tapped her foot impatiently and sighed. Damien groaned. "Kyra?!"

He turned to her and the paper was snatched from his hand. "What is wrong with you!" Nicole asked, crossing her arms across her chest. The dress she was wearing was a stunning gold one which Kyra knew to have been priced at $5000. "Will you leave her alone!"

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?!" Damien demanded. "Why would you waste that much money on a stupid dress?!"

"Hello! This is one of a kind!" Nicole said, running her hands over her sides and looking down at the dress. "And what do you care?" she asked looking back up at him with her own blue eyes. "We're rich, remember? We're allowed to buy nice things for ourselves."

"Yeah. Like sports cars! Not _dresses_." He sneered the word.

"Sports cars?"

"Yes, sports cars! What's with girls and clothes?"

"What's with guys and cars?!"

The fight went on for a long while, changing subjects every few minutes but arguing intensely about each. Kyra, however, blocked the siblings' voices from her mind. They always fought like this and the bickering just faded to whispers by themselves in her mind. Without either of them noticing, Kyra slipped the picture out of Nicole's hand.

Kyra sighed and straightened the paper as best she could. She gazed down at it for a long time. Kyra ran her fingers over the drawing, feeling the texture of the pastels she used to create it. This left streaks of purple residue on her fingers.

As she moved her fingers over the 'liquid' on the ground in the picture, she felt an unnecessary jump in the texture. She squinted, then ran her finger over it again, feeling the same discrepancy. She had always paid close attention to detail. She looked closer and gasped quietly. She knew what that was right away.

Kyra set the paper down on the bench quickly and opened her folder. She took out a handful of pictures and thumbed through them just as quickly. She skipped over a portrait with the same color walls for background as the picture of the alleyway. She turned back to it and slipped it out of place slowly.

The background was indeed the same location. There was even a full moon above the boy drawn there. Anyone would think that it was the moonlight which made his skin so pale, but Kyra knew better. She had seen this boy before. His skin was naturally that color. She outlined the casual disarray that was his bronze hair. She then traced down to the shirt he was wearing, a long sleeved, black, buttoned-down shirt with ornate black buttons.

A wide smile appeared across her face. The top button on the shirt was missing. She picked up the picture of the alley and looked at the black object drawn on the floor, then switched to the picture of the pale boy from the plane. There was, indeed, a connection.

Kyra gave a sigh of relief and sat back in the bench, nodding.

_'...I have to go there...'_

She looked at the picture of the boy again and, for some strange reason, her stomach twisted. Something on the page just did not feel right to her. The picture felt a little 'off'. She scanned every detail. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He was very handsome but, besides that, he looked perfectly normal; from the messy bronze hair to the emerald...green eyes...

Kyra shrugged and placed the portrait back in the folder pocket. She tucked it under her arm and looked up at Damien and Nicole. By the looks of it, they were still arguing. She stood up and straightened out the long white skirt she was wearing. She walked over to Damien and clipped a key chain from one of the links on the side of his pants.

"I'll be in the car." Kyra said walking away. Even as she walked, waiting for some kind of answer, the voices of the bickering siblings did not reach her.

--

_Author's Note__: Read&Review!_


	8. Dark Angel

_Author's Note__: Hey guys! You might have noticed this but I've started to individually reply to reviews instead of replying to them in AN's.  
_

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Chapter 8: Dark Angel

"Yes, I'll meet you there...I wanted to visit some familiar places first." Kyra said, speaking to Nicole through her new Iphone. Kyra never liked to accept expensive gifts from people, especially since she had been on her own for so long, but Nicole never stopped. For a spoiled rich girl, Nicole was very giving.

"No, I don't need Damien to come with me..."

"Oh. Please. I pinned him to the ground once. Believe me, I'll be fine..."

"Disgusting...I'm not the least bit attracted to him..."

"I'm not saying he's not attractive I'm saying..."

"Forget it already. I'm leaving now..."

"Yes, the alley in the picture..."

"I don't know...but something is...calling me..."

Kyra chuckled. "No, I'm not mental...just confused..."

"Don't worry, I'll be there."

"You're my friend, not my mother."

"...okay...one hour, fine...alright...I'll be there...bye."

She pressed 'end' and sighed, shaking her head with a slightly annoyed smile on her face.

As she continued, she was overwhelmed by a feeling of unease. She felt like she was being watched. Curious, she looked behind her subtly. To her surprise, she caught a glimpse of the silhouette of a man along the wall behind and to the side of her. Directing her vision forward, she continued walking in a slightly faster pace.

This had gone on for quite some time. Kyra just could not lose him. Failing that, she tried her hardest to stay in slightly lighted areas. This dark night was making that very difficult and almost impossible. She continued to walk, wondering if the man knew that she was going around in circles.

As Kyra rounded a corner at the same slow, steady speed, she took her chance, breaking into a run once in the safety of the shadows. The next turn she took was one she would regret. Kyra stepped into a narrow dark alley. Her curiosity stopped her from running any further.

This alley seemed vaguely familiar, and not just from the picture she had drawn. This familiarity was not a warm, comfortable one either. She did not feel any safer here even though she was out of the sight of her stalker.

Her original plan was to run through here as fast as her feet would take her and simply go back into the hotel, forgetting all about the alley; however, this dark place froze her in her tracks.

Everything was exactly the same, except the liquid substance was no longer on the ground. Kyra scanned the area until her eye caught something familiar. She walked to the wall and knelt down, picking up a black button. The design on the surface was unique. It looked almost Celtic.

Kyra spent more time here than she thought she would. When she could finally got her feet to move quickly under her, she froze again. The man that had followed her was standing at the opposite end of the alley. He was about 50 feet away but Kyra could smell the alcohol on his breath. She took a step back, but that was all she could bring herself to do.

The man staggered towards her, an empty glass bottle in his right hand. He spoke to her in a low indistinct mumble. Even if he had spoken clearly, Kyra would not have heard him. Her ears had gone into shock.

The drunken man made his way to her. Still, she could not build enough strength to run away. This place was the setting of too many bad memories and nightmares. The man looked her up and down, then he lifted the bottle in his hand, slamming it into the wall. Even as the glass shattered, all Kyra could do was flinch slightly.

"Who do we have here?" The man's words were slurred. Kyra winced trying to move but she was petrified. The man grabbed her wrist, pulled her in closer, and then slammed her back against the wall. "HELLO!? Are you deaf?" he asked lifting his arm, forming a fist.

Kyra closed her eyes and turned her head, waiting for the impact, which never came. She opened her eyes again slowly. Before her stood a boy, 17 or 18 years old, with messy bronze hair, inhumane pale skin, and a slightly muscular build.

In an instant this boy had appeared before her, catching the drunken man's fist in his own, and forcing the man to his knees all without Kyra even noticing. She winced at the sound of cracking bones. The man cried out in pain, trying to pull his injured hand away.

The bronze haired boy growled and pulled the man to his feet before pushing him against the wall with his elbow to the man's neck. Kyra could just barely follow his movements. As the drunk man gasped for air, his eyes began to roll to the back of his head. He slid out of consciousness.

Kyra stepped away. The boy was breathing heavily. She turned. By the sounds of it, this boy intended to kill. She did not want to see that. She closed her eyes tightly and listened.

The boy's breathing suddenly stopped altogether as he stepped away from the man, letting his body fall motionless onto the ground.

Kyra still did not want to look. _'Is he...?'_

"He's alive." His voice was disappointed.

There was a long silence. Neither of them moved.

"You should breathe..." This time, his voice was slightly amused.

Kyra had not even realized that she held her breath. She exhaled heavily, her breathing uneven. The pale boy chuckled behind her.

She glared at the ground, not seeing anything humorous about the situation. Her face eventually softened and she turned cautiously to the boy. He was facing her, his facial expression unreadable.

_'The boy from the plane...and the picture...!'_ Though her inner voice was excited, her facial expression was that of shock.

"Wait. Your-" He gave her a confused looked as she looked into his butterscotch eyes. "Your eyes aren't green." she stated.

Edward blink. He said nothing in response. He did not know how to respond. Too his annoyance, he was confused. Her thoughts granted few answers.

Kyra shook her and began to walk away. Nothing else was said. She just continued to walk until her feet took her to the entrance of the hotel. She looked up as though she was surprised to be there.

"Tomorrow." she heard the boy's voice say. "I have questions." The sound was so close, as if it were whispered into her ear.

Kyra turned but there was no one there. She knew there would not be.

The doorman tipped his hat and opened the door for her. She stumbled through, still dazed.

"...he saved me again..."

--

_Author's Note: Read&Review!_


	9. Unpredictable

_Author's Note__: Sorry this took so long. School stuff.  
_

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Chapter 9: Unpredictable

Kyra gasped and sat up quickly in her bed. She looked around, her breathing uneven. She was safe in the suite of the hotel.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she scanned the cool scheme of the room's furniture. There were many different shades and tints of blue, green, and purple. Because these were some of her favorite colors, the room calmed her.

Kyra pulled her legs into her chest from under the grayish-blue quilt that covered them, rested her crossed arms on her knees, and laid her forehead on her arms, exhaling heavily once again. Thinking about what had happened last night, she closed her eyes tightly.

A loud knock on her door made her flinch and raise her head, turning towards the door. _'...Edward...?'_ she asked mentally. Her facial expression was both anxious and terrified. The tension of her entire body was evident.

She relaxed immediately after seeing Damien's blond hair and blue eyes pass the threshold.

"Knock knock!" he announced after opening the door without permission. He walked in holding a large silver tray, closing the door with his foot. He sported black swimming trunks and a white T-shirt.

"Oh, no. I am so sick of Nicole ordering eggs for me for breakfast...I'll pass." Kyra sighed.

"No worries." he smiled, sitting on her bed. He lifted the lid revealing four huge chocolate chip pancakes, and next to it, hot chocolate, both with extra semi-sweet chocolate chips sprinkled on top of whipped cream.

"Whoa."

Damien set the tray in front of Kyra as she folder her legs under herself.

"Thanks." Kyra smiled a sad smile.

Damien looked at her face, looked down at the tray of food, then back to her face. "Nicole told me you loved these...and that you didn't like coffee. " he informed. "She lied didn't she!?"

"No." The reply was flat with a very slight hint of amusement.

"Oh...this is about the drunk guy in the alley." Damien said nodding. Kyra looked up at him with surprise.

"What?" She did not realize that anyone knew.

"The police took that guy away this morning...you weren't kidding when you told Nicole you could handle yourself..." he chuckled. When he stopped suddenly, Kyra looked up at him. He was looking at her with curious eyes. "...how...did you do that to his hand?"

Kyra said nothing. She simply gave him a confused look, then turned away. "His hand..." she repeated in a whisper.

"Yeah...they said is was broken in like nine places."

Remembering last night's events, Kyra could not help but crack a small smile.

"Earth to Kyra...come in..." Damien said in a singsong voice. She looked up.

"Oh...um...I was...against the wall and he...tried to hit me...but...I...moved out of the way in time and he hit the wall instead." At the end of her explanation, she lifted the mug to her mouth and sipped the hot chocolate, smiling into the glass.

Damien whistled. "There must have been a lot of force behind that punch to do that much damage to himself. Good thing you dodged it." he nodded. "You gonna report him?"

"No, why?" Kyra asked in a fast voice. "Wait, don't the police know that he attacked me last night? Isn't that why they were there?" She crossed her arms. "How did they know?"

"They didn't." he chuckled. "Apparently someone tipped them that the guy was there and they tried to help him. He tried to stab them with broken glass and then they cuffed him...heh...idiot..." he said, laying down, locking his hands behind his head, and crossing his legs at the ankles.

Nicole walked in, not bothering to knock. She was wearing a red bikini that was very revealing. "Pool time!" she said smiling. "So, what do you think?" she asked Kyra.

"Ah! My eyes!!" Damien yelled over dramatically, rolling himself off of the bed and disappearing underneath it.

"Ha, ha. Funny..." Nicole said crossing her arms. Kyra giggled and shook her head.

"You look hot." Kyra said, shaking her head.

"I know." Nicole came over and sat on the bed. Kyra had not noticed that she was holding a shopping bag until Nicole set it down in front of her.

"What's this?"

"What I'm wearing. Only in blue."

"Really?" Damien said, sliding out from under the bed. Nicole looked down at him.

"Get out of here. Kyra has to change."

"I do?"

"We're hitting the pool! You have to change for that, hello!"

Kyra sighed. "I actually don't feel up to it. I think I'll just hang out here."

"Oh...fine..." Nicole got up off the bed and took Damien by the hair. "Let's go."

"Ah...it burns..." he said after seeing his sister again. She laughed sarcastically and pushed him into the other room, closing the door behind them.

Kyra's smile faded. She leaned over the bed, reaching the bottom draw of the night table. She opened it and moved around some papers, searching for her gray folder. When she found nothing, she pulled the next one open.

Feeling her bed shift, she sat up. Her folder was sitting in front of her and the pale boy from the alley was standing at the far end of the bed. Kyra blinked.

"...hi..."

--

_Author's Note__: Read&Review_


	10. Tranquil

_Author's Note__: Fast-ish update! I'm going to try to update twice this week, or more if I can. I know I usually post a chapter after about a week but I'm really excited for you guys to find out more. ^^  
_

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Chapter 10: Tranquil

"Hello."

Kyra picked up her folder and held it to her chest. "Thanks."

"You're very talented."

"You looked through them." she sighed. "Not very big on personal boundaries are you?" Edward said nothing. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Sorry...I'm Kyra...thanks for saving me..." She placed the folder back down on the bed.

"Edward Cullen."

Kyra said nothing, she just nodded.

"But you already knew that."

Kyra did not looked up. She played with her fingers nervously. "Did I?"

"How did you know my name?"

She was confused so she looked up this time. "I don't know what you mean..."

Edward seemed slightly annoyed.

"Sorry...I never did give in easily..." she said, standing up.

Without warning, he grabbed her by the neck and forced her against the wall. She brought her hands to his wrist, then froze.

"Does this make it easier?" he asked. His eyes showed great outrage.

"You..." she started as Edward loosened his grip. "You're hands really are cold..."

He growled through his sharp white teeth and got closer, though he kept his grip on her neck loose.

"And you really don't have ONLY big sharp fangs..." she giggled.

"You're being difficult."

"I'm not afraid of you..."

Edward growled louder and released her.

"You should be." he said turning and walking away before running his fingers through his hair in frustration and sighing heavily. Kyra rubbed her neck and cleared her throat. She was not expecting him to react that way.

_'My desire for her is stronger than I thought...even just after a hunt I can barely control-'_

"Are you okay?" Kyra asked, taking a step forward. Edward nodded and moved away.

"You _should _be afraid, you know..."

"You saved he twice." she chuckled.

"I nearly killed you twice." he recoiled.

"True...but...the good overpowers the bad, I think."

Edward sighed and closed his eyes. Kyra stepped towards him.

"Um...are you sure you're okay?" she reached out to touch his shoulder and he turned, grabbing her arm tightly, his muscles tensing. Kyra winced and tried to take a step back but couldn't. She looked up into his eyes. They seemed furious, and at the same time, full of desire.

Slowly, Edward's muscles relaxed and his grip loosened. All traces of fury left his facial expression. It was as if looking into Kyra's jade green eyes made him calm, tranquil.

Kyra forced her hand out of his and stepped back. "Um...okay...well, if that's all you should-"

"I'm not finished..." Edward took a step back as well. "On the plane..." he started. Kyra took a seat on the large blue chair in the corner. "Why did you cut off the flow of air?"

Kyra brought her knees into her chest defensively. "It was...getting cold?" she said, placing her arms on her knees, then resting her chin on her arm.

Edward glared at her.

Kyra winced. "Eh...daggers..." she whispered. She took a deep breath. "...now...I have a question...how did _you know _that I knew your name?"

He looked away, remaining silent.

"I never...said your name out loud, did I." Kyra continued.

Silence.

"Okay...how long have you been in this room?"

He hesitated. "Since your friend Damien came in."

"...oh yeah...I remember...I thought it was you..." Kyra sighed. "...so I..._thought _your name..." Kyra's face lit up. When she lifted her head, Edward was gone.

Kyra sighed and let her feet fall to the ground, crossing her arms. She stood in that position for a second, thinking. She then leaned over the arm of the chair and grabbed her folder from the edge of the bed. She looked down at the folder, then she picked up a piece of paper and a pencil, wondering why Edward left so suddenly.

That question was answered when Nicole walked through the door. She was soaking wet and seemed irritated. "That jerk." she said slamming the door.

Kyra looked up from her paper for a second, then continued to draw.

"Damien?"

"What do you think?!" she said sitting on the bed and wringing out her hair out onto the floor.

"The carpet thanks you for the chlorine." Kyra said, not looking up this time.

"Whatev...You HAVE to come now!"

"I'm just not up to it."

"Ugh...You have to get over that annoying fear of drowning."

"Thanks for being so considerate...it's very touching."

"What's that about anyway? Who's afraid of _water_?"

Kyra shrugged. "I don't remember. Maybe it has something to do with my past...or a dream...or maybe a movie...the media has a big influence on people you know..."

Nicole was staring at her blankly. After a few seconds she blinked. "...wait what? Say that again. My ears went into shock after 'I don't remember.' "

Kyra glared. "Ha ha."

"No seriously." she chuckled. "When was the last time you forgot something? I can't get away with anything with you!"

"Yeah...remember that."

"OKAY!" Nicole threw her hands up. "Subject change!" She cleared her throat. "Let's go to the mall."

"Again?"

"We'll buy you something to make your new crush melt." Nicole smiled and stood up, walking to the door.

Kyra blinked. "Wait, what?"

"Oh. Come. On. I can totally see it." Nicole crossed her arms. "You have that lovesick-puppy look on your face. You met a guy and didn't tell me."

Kyra opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted.

"Put on something cute...if you have anything in that category...and we'll go shopping." Nicole looked very excited even though shopping was the second thing that she did the most in her life, behind breathing.

"But-"

Nicole shut the door. "CHANGE!" she yelled from behind it.

Kyra sighed and threw her head back on the chair, closing her eyes. She immediately opened them again, feeling a gust of wind on her face. Edward was standing inches away from the chair.

"What exactly do you know about me?"

Edward hated having to ask all these questions. He could read her thoughts but she concealed what she was really feeling very well. Even her thoughts were sometimes lies. Lies to herself to make pain easier.

"Well...I know you read minds...otherwise you wouldn't have known that-"

"Congratulations...what else?" He seemed in a hurry.

"...you don't have green ey-"

"Kyra..." he growled.

"Okay, okay..." Kyra sighed and crossed her arms. "I'm sorry...I'll tell you...I just can't right now...Nicole-"

"I know...I heard..."

Kyra sighed and smiled up at him, pushing her hair behind her ears. She stood up. "Tomorrow?"

Edward closed the gap between them, unwillingly. "Tomorrow."

Kyra's hair blew into her face as he sped off, which took all the strength he had to do so. Kyra bit her lip and shook her head, watching as her door flew open. Nicole was dazed and confused on the other side of it.

"What _was _that?" she asked, trying to regain her balance.

Kyra shrugged. "The wind?"

--

_Author's Note__: Read&Review! And tell me if there are any mistakes. I looked over this like once and we've all seen how that turned out, lol.  
_


	11. Insight

_Author's Note__: The whole fang crisis was worked out. And just so you all know, I know that vampires in the twilight series don't have sharper fangs then the rest of their teeth, but they do have fangs, everyone does. I was giving perspective on the shape of his mouth and which teeth were showing without being specific. It felt easier to say "showing his fangs" instead of saying "showing 8 of his sharp teeth" lol In case that didn't make sense, I got rid of all the places were I said "fangs." Once it updates, which it does very slowly, it will only say fangs once in the whole story (in Chapter 10. Kyra jokes about how he doesn't have big sharp fangs)._

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Chapter 11: Insight

Kyra came out of the dressing room wearing a shadow gray dress with a V neckline, cap sleeves, and faux side seam pockets, gathered at her waist, and made of viscose and rayon.

Nicole nodded and smiled. "I like it..." Her smile faded and she put out her hand. "...on you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I picked it out didn't I?"

Kyra nodded and shrugged.

"And look." Nicole started, showing her the tag. "It's only $1,795."

"What?! No. Way."

"What...? It's cheap." Nicole snapped her fingers at the clerk. "We'll take this one, too."

"So, we're leaving the trench dress right?"

"Ugh, no. You NEED that one."

"But-"

"What's wrong with it? Black. Metallic detail. Moat collar; hidden button front. Three-quarter sleeves. Tonal belt at waist. Side slash pockets. Pencil skirt. I see nothing wrong here."

"Try looking down at the tag."

"Yeah. So. No big." Nicole turned her head. "OH!! And this one too." she felt the material of the dress on the hanger to her right. "Black. Cowl neckline. Long sleeves. Gathered with black square ornament at natural waist. Seam pockets at low hip." she said nodding. "And by the feel...wool..." she turned to Kyra. "I'm sold."

"I'm not."

"We're getting them anyway."

"Not that this isn't boring as hell making me want to put dynamite in my ears and make my brain explode..." Damien started. "...but I would rather be out looking at houses and Italian architecture or back at the hotel pool...I'm not saying that I don't enjoy seeing Kyra in these dresses and I'm DEFINITELY NOT saying that I want to see my sister in a bathing suit again...shutter...but I could do without you describing every little detail about every damn dress...can't you just say it's a 'really sexy dress' and move on?"

Nicole looked at him with a blank stare. She then turned to look behind her before turning back to him. "Were you talking to me?" she blinked.

Kyra laughed and shook her head. "Okay, let's go. The car is full of shopping bags and it's getting dark..."

Damien let out a sigh of relief. "Finally...eight hours and a lot money later. I knew it would end eventually." he said stretching.

Nicole glared, shifting her gaze from Kyra to Damien while tapping her foot. "Okay fine." she said quickly before turning swiftly to the clerk and snapping her fingers. "Bag these. Thank you." She then left the store.

Damien shook his head. "At least she said 'thank you'. "

Kyra nodded and went back into the dressing room to change.

"So...you coming to the pool with me...er...us?" Damien asked through the door.

"Do I have to get in the water?"

"I...guess not...why?"

Kyra opened the door, back in her jeans and black hooded sweater. "Doesn't matter. I'm in." She handed him the dresses and walked out the store.

Damien nodded and smiled devilishly before walking to the counter.

-

"There's so much about her that I want to know." Edward said, putting his hand out into the sunlight and watching his skin sparkle. "So much I want to show her..." he balled his hand into a fist. "And I don't know why..."

Alice nodded and folded her hands. "She's pretty..."

Edward looked at her.

"What? Like you didn't know I followed you this morning..."

Edward sighed and continued. "I'm letting myself get close to her and...history is going to repeat itself..." he turned and opened the back door of the house, letting himself back in. Alice followed.

"Where are you going?"

"To go see her."

Alice stopped short, a blank look creeping onto her face. Edward looked back and squinted.

Alice blinked and looked up at him.

"What did you see."

"Kyra." _'She was drowning...'_

Edward glared, then ran outside to his car.

_'Kind of danger prone isn't she...' _Alice thought to herself with a worried look on her face. _'...kind of like-'_ A loud growl in the distance halted her thoughts.

--

_Author's Note__: Read&Review. Sorry if it seems kind of short...it does to me...  
_


	12. Furious Waves

Chapter 12: Furious Waves

Kyra changed the channel and sighed before sitting up and looking around. The large blue chair in the corner was covered in shopping bags and the floor was littered with tissue paper, tags, and ribbons. It was the Nicole-shopping-spree-tornado that seemed to hit every other day.

Kyra got to her feet and walked over to a blue shopping bag. Inside of it was a black two piece bathing suite. The bottom was in the form of a short skirt and it was no where near as revealing as the one Nicole bought for her.

She grabbed it and smiled.

"I'm gonna regret this." she told herself in a singsong voice.

Kyra walked over to the door and locked it.

-

Nicole knocked on the door. "We're going swimming now..."

Silence.

"You coming?"

Silence.

"No..." she whispered to herself. "...of course not."

She started to turn and walk away when Kyra opened the door, wearing her suit. She had a towel wrapped around herself though. Nicole looked her up and down then jumped.

"Yay!" Nicole looked at the straps. "It'snottheoneIgotyoubutit'lldo." She said quickly, grabbing Kyra's arm. "Let's go!"

Nicole skipped excitedly down the steps to the indoor pool of the hotel. Kyra was holding up her towel with one hand while Nicole pulled her along by her other.

Damien looked down from the big screen TV that hung on the wall on the other side of the large hall that encircled the pool and smiled, waving at the girls.

Nicole waved back. "Yeah, I convinced her to come down." she said proudly.

"Of course you did." Damien shook his head, sarcasm was evident.

"Oh!" Nicole gasped. "I forgot my purse, I wanted to get something from the vending machine down the hall." She turned to the others. "I'll be back." she said, running in the opposite direction.

Kyra shrugged and walked over to the table where Damien put his clothes and towel. The chairs were made of a dark green metal material that matched the outline of the table they encircled. The surface of the table was made of a foggy glass. Kyra looked at the water and winced, then she took her towel off and lay it on the back of one of the chairs.

Damien sighed. "The other bathing suit would have been better."

Kyra glared.

"So...um...why did you ask if you had to get into the water?"

She shrugged. "I...didn't want to get my hair wet."

"Really?" he smirked and stepped forward.

Kyra backed away, looking him up and down. "Why?"

Damien scooped her up playfully.

"Damien, no, seriously!" Kyra struggled.

"It's just a little chlorine water. Don't you have to wash your hair later anyway?"

"Damien? Damien! Stop! I can't-" she panicked.

"Kill me later!" he said throwing her into the deep end of the pool. He chuckled as water splashed him and ran down the hall. He jumped over the gate that enclosed the pool and ran towards the vending machines and the game room, bumping into Nicole.

"What the hell?" Nicole asked rubbing her arm. "Where are you going?"

"To hide! Kyra's gonna kill me when she gets out of there." he laughed, wiping water from his cheek.

Nicole's face flushed. "What are you talking about?"

"Well...she wouldn't get in the water so...I...helped her in." he smirked proudly.

Nicole pushed him. "WHAT?!" she started to run towards the pool but Damien grabbed her arm and turned her towards him.

"What's your problem? I was just playing around?"

"Kyra can't swim, idiot!" Nicole said yanking her arm away and running. Damien's face flushed as well as he followed close behind.

"I didn't think-"

"You never do! Why do you think she didn't want to come with us in the first place?"

"...cause...she didn't want to get her hair wet?"

-

Kyra's lungs quickly filled with water as she panicked and struggled to get to the surface of the pool. She moved her arms and legs furiously as the last bit of air floated to the surface in a small group of bubbles.

Soon she just gave up and stopped moving. She looked up at the surface of the water and swore that she saw Edward. This was so familiar yet different to another memory hidden in the dark corner of her mind. She extended her arm to try to reach him. The image of the vampire seemed to reached out and touch her hand, ever so slowly. To her surprise, that hand pulled her straight out of the water.

Kyra coughed furiously and took desperate gasps for air, clinging to Edward's shirt as he cradled her in his arms.

His golden eyes were very concerned. Kyra was in complete shock. Even her mind was empty. Her jade green eyes went from showing panic to being completely lifeless.

Damien and Nicole made it back to see Kyra rescued. Damien knelt down. "Kyra! I'm sorry, I-"

Edward growled. "You've done enough."

"Excuse me?" Damien asked, enraged.

"I'll deal with you later." Edward stood up with Kyra in his arms.

Damien stood up as well. "Who the hell are you any-" Before he could finish Kyra and the boy were gone.

--

_Author's Note__: Read&Review! Again, short. Sorry.  
_


	13. Aftermath

_Author's Note__: Wow...that was the most reviews I have ever gotten for a chapter. Great thanks to all of you. ^_^ I'm sorry this took so long. I have three tests and two major papers that I need to have done and be ready for in less than 6 days. I'll be spending Thanksgiving with my computer this year, not my family. -.- Well, I hope you like this chapter. I kept questioning it myself but I think I'm content with it. Tell me what you think..._

Chapter 13: Aftermath

Edward set Kyra down on her bed and moved as far away from her as possible, his back pressing firmly against the wall. He looked down at the unbuttoned sleeveless white shirt that he was wearing. In some places, the shirt was slightly darker where water had been absorbed as he held Kyra against himself protectively. He sighed, then looked back at Kyra. She was shivering.

She had quickly drifted to sleep in his arms, no doubt exhausted by her second near death experience of the week. Edward was hesitant but he quickly lifted Kyra with one arm and took the quilt out from under her so he could cover her with it.

He was frozen for a minute as she touched her, then he quickly backed away again to sit on the other end of the room. Her pupils flickered beneath her eyelids. Edward had been sitting there for a long time, just watching. He did not even know how long.

"This is wrong…" he spoke, to no one in particular. "…dangerous…I shouldn't be here with her…alone or otherwise…" He sat there trying to convince himself to leave and not look back, but he could not.

He was still puzzled by all that was happening and slightly worried that this girl was slowly removing the memory of Bella from his mind. He sighed and brought one of his hands to cover his eyes.

Edward looked up swiftly and growled, hearing the door of the suite swing open. The first voice he heard was that of Damien, calling out Kyra's name. Edward dug his nails into the chair and snarled. His entire body was shaking with the urge to burst into the other room and rip out the throat of that idiotic human.

This time there was no one to distract him, no one to calm him down. He had to suppress it on his own. Slowly he stood up, fighting, but losing, to the demon inside of him.

"Don't…" a faint whisper surprised him, and calmed him almost immediately.

Edward sighed and locked the door before turning. Kyra was lying motionless under the covers, yet she could sense the tension in the room, as well as the murderous intent that the young vampire fought within himself.

"He didn't know…" she continued, her voice emotionless. "It was my…own fault…for not telling him…"

"Your friend is less than attentive. Not to mention his lack of common sense. Keeping that information to yourself, however, was not exactly wise."

Kyra sighed and finally built up the strength to sit up on her own. She noticed that Edward took a step forward, then stopped, contemplating on whether or not to get any closer.

"That's three times now…" she said with her eyes closed.

There was knock on the door.

"Kyra? You in there?" Damien yelled from behind it.

"Obviously..." Edward said sternly under his breath while glaring at the door.

Kyra chuckled weakly. "Yeah, Damien..."

"Thank God...you okay?"

"I'm fine..."

"You sure?"

"She's fine." Edward repeated calmly. Damien fell silent and clenched his teeth. Edward chuckled.

Kyra turned to him. "What?

"Nothing..." he sighed clearing his throat. "You'll do well to choose more intelligent friends...these things would happen less often."

"...they're more like family...and I prefer them alive..." she looked up. "...both of them."

"I'm fighting the impulses...with ease now that I am actually thinking things through..." Edward nodded. "Should I murder your friend Damien, I could not very well leave Nicole alive...then someone would hear her screams and the entire floor would have to be sacrificed. Before long the entire hotel...then I would surely be targeted by the Volturi, as would you, and we'd die as well...that is...if I hadn't killed you myself already."

"The Volturi?" Kyra repeated. She sounded more like she was in a trance and not at all interested.

"A coven of Vampires that reside here."

"Like you and your family?"

"We're commonly known as the Olympian coven. We've spent the majority of our lives in Washington."

"Really? Strange…"

Edward seemed confused by the intrigue behind her voice. He looked at her waiting to hear more. She looked up, into his curious eyes.

"It's nothing...just...Nicole lives in Seattle."

"…so close?"

"Interesting, huh." Kyra shivered under the blanket. Edward sighed very quietly and stood up.

"I should leave you to recover."

Kyra looked disappointed. "Wait…about the...Volturi…" Edward turned. "How would they even know about…me?"

"One of the leaders has a gift like mine. When he comes into physical contact with someone he learns every thought they have ever had…upon touching my skin he would know everything that I know and think about you…"

He spoke to her so easily and told her exactly what she wanted to know without giving it a second thought, another dangerous flaw. The more information he gave the more danger he was putting her life in.

"…"

"Are you afraid?"

"Strangely…no…"

Edward sighed. "Of course not…"

"I was actually just wondering...about...how you think of me...exactly..."

He said nothing.

"I've known you a little over a week and... I..."

"I...should go..."

Kyra cleared her throat and looked down at her hands.

"I'll be away for a few days actually…" Edward said while turning.

"Why?"

He was hesitant. "I'm...going to hunt."

"It's been only two...maybe three days...hasn't it..."

"How-"

"Your eyes..."

"It's...harder around you...the hardest it's ever been...I need to go...but I won't be long...and I won't be far. I have to be sure to protect you from the next danger after all."

Kyra sighed. "You answered all of my questions but...I haven't answered any of yours..."

"Things became difficult."

"You'll be back to ask them?"

"...yes...I can't seem to stay away..."

There was a long silence in the room. Kyra eventually nodded and stood up. As the cool wind from the air conditioner of the hotel room hit her skin, she shivered. She looked down at herself, forgetting that she was still wearing her bathing suit. She then scanned the room, searching for something. She turned to look in the closet on the other side of the room and turned right into Edward's chest.

"Ow..." she muttered unwillingly.

He was holding her robe out to her. She looked up at him, frozen. Her pupils shifted from his left and right eyes quickly. She backed away after taking the robe from him and wrapping it around herself.

"Th-thanks..."

"You _are _afraid." Edward said with a smirk, stepping forward.

"Well...at the moment..." Kyra said, slightly panicked.

With very step she took to get away, Edward took a step closer. His expression was slightly sinister. Eventually, Kyra's back was up against the wall.

"H-how strong is your desire for my blood?" she asked quickly.

Edward stopped. His expression became soft and apologetic even though their faces were so close and he was fighting the urge to attack her. "I have to go..." he whispered, shaking his head. His lips hovered eagerly above hers but neither of them dared to close the gap.

"I could...walk you out...make Damien crazy..." Kyra said closing her eyes.

"He already is...you should hear what he thinks is happening in here."

"I know his mind...I could guess." she looked up into his eyes in amusement.

Their voices were whispers and their foreheads were pressing against each other. Edward couldn't handle being that close to her for much longer. He clenched his teeth together and closed his eyes before slowly backing away. He looked up at her, then turned and disappeared through the door.

Kyra watched after him only to get a streak of the white of his shirt and skin, the black of his pants, and the red of his hair.

--

_Author's Note__: Read&Review! ^_^_


	14. Last Encounter

Chapter 14: Last Encounter

Kyra was sitting on the couch in the main room with Nicole. Damien had left an hour earlier. He was very into ancient architecture and left to check out a few places he had heard and read about. He was eager to drag the girls to some of the places before they would take off for America.

Nicole had brought some DVD's with her from Seattle and she had put in _Underworld_. Kyra sighed and privately shook her head at Hollywood with a smirk. Though the movie had played half way through, neither of them were really watching it.

After a very long silence, Nicole turned to Kyra, who had already been staring back.

"What?" Kyra demanded, crossing her arms and turning to face her.

Nicole smiled and muted the TV. "It's been like a week since the incident and you still haven't told me anything about your mystery guy. What's he like? Who is he?"

"Remember the boy from the plane?"

Nicole's jaw dropped. "That creepy, but amazingly cute, pale guy that was glaring at us?"

"That would be him."

"WHAT?! I don't care how cute he is, he's scary!"

"Sometimes."

There was another silence which Nicole soon broke.

"Did he tell you why he was glaring?"

"Yeah...he said I looked familiar and it frustrated him." Kyra was very good at covering things up when put on the spot.

Nicole's face fell. "That's all?" she asked in a bored tone, which Kyra simply nodded in response to. "So what was that? A pick-up line?"

"No. It turns out we actually _have_ met before."

"Really? Cool..." Silence. "...he's hot."

Kyra smiled. "Yeah...he is..."

"What's wrong?" Kyra squinted, not knowing what she meant by that. Nicole continued. "I don't know...you seem a little...out of it..."

Kyra hesitated. "It's been a while since I last saw him...he said he'd be back and...I don't know...I'm just a little confused, that's all."

"He really seems to like you...almost to the point of obsession, the way he kind of growled at Damien...so...has he kissed you yet?" her voice was curious and excited, longing for answers.

Kyra sighed. "Do we have to talk about this?"

"What? Just making conversation."

Another silence. Nicole did not break it this time, she simply stared at Kyra, waiting patiently for an answer.

"No."

"Ugh...that's bogus..." she crossed her arms and sat back.

"Why so interested?"

"Cause we leave tomorrow! You've gotta go back to school. Make a move! I haven't seen you with a boy since..." Nicole's voice trailed off, knowing that she accidentally made Kyra's pain resurface.

Kyra sighed, shaking her head slowly. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"It's complicated..."

"Well...do you like him?"

Kyra inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Yeah...I do..."

"Do you...love him?"

Kyra glared softly at the ground. "I don't know if I can." she said standing up and walking into her room.

She shut the door behind her and sighed, leaning against it for a short minute. She then picked up the picture of Edward that she drew which lay on her bed, folded it up and placed it in the back pocket of her jeans before sitting down. She ran her fingers through her hair and few times, then pushed the loose stands behind her ears.

Upon hearing the window that connected to the back alley swing open, Kyra sighed with relief and turned towards it.

"Good morning."

"Hi."

"You were worried I wouldn't come back."

Kyra sighed. "It's happened before..."

"I know." he said with a frown.

Kyra sat down on her bed. "So...where-"

Edward shook his head. "It's my turn."

"Right, sorry...ask away."

"All I care to know is what, exactly, you remember about that night."

"Everything?"

Edward sighed.

"Right...sorry...um...well...I remember that doctor...Carlisle I think...whispering that everything was going to be okay. He told me that the danger had passed and he was going to help me."

Edward smirked and nodded.

"He told me what he and the creatures that attacked me were and he explained what would have happened if he hadn't gotten all the venom out of my system in time...I also remember him saying that I...almost died because there were actually two places where venom was injected into me."

Kyra walked up to him and pulled off her light blue sweater, displaying her right arm to him. At the center of her forearm was a crescent shaped scar matching Bella's. And on her shoulder was an identical mark. Both patches of skin were more pale than the rest of her skin. Edward looked confused. He had not noticed them there before.

Edward was hesitant to reach out for her arm. He did however, running his thumb over the scar with a serious look on his face. He tensed in sudden rage.

Kyra noticed this and pulled her hand away, straightening out her plain white T-shirt and draping her sweater over the scar on her right arm.

"I don't know how...but he managed to get all the venom out of my system in time...then he had to rush me to the hospital because I lost so much blood. Either way I thought I was going to die...but a part of me just didn't want to let go...and I didn't know why."

Kyra sat down on the bed and sighed.

_'I had nothing...no family...friends that I'd known for a week who didn't really care about me...and I couldn't figure out why I clung to life so tightly...but I figured it out...recently...'_

Edward looked up at her with curiosity.

"I...wanted to live...I think...because I wanted to see _you _again..."

Edward was silent. Kyra shook her head.

"I know how it sounds...but...that's what I remember feeling..." Kyra didn't look up. _'That's how I feel now...'_ She didn't mean to think that but she couldn't help it. She sighed and closed her eyes, which she and Edward had done simultaneously.

Edward came to sit next to her, taking her hands. He felt her pulse quicken beneath his fingers.

"I can't do this..." he whispered.

Kyra gave him a questionable look. "...what?"

"This isn't fair...I should not be using you this way...it's selfish..."

Kyra was silent.

"I know what he did to you...you were still grieving on the plane...you felt so strongly...I thought it had happened recently but that was only because of the strength of your love for him..."

No response.

"He said he loved you with all of his being and would always...yet when you did not...give yourself to him...he deserted you..."

Kyra closed her eyes and looked down. She wasn't sure why, but somehow, Kyra was cursed with information about another girl that made Edward react differently than he normally would; the girl he deserted in Washington.

"You're still in love with the girl you left behind..."

Edward sighed. Kyra leaned closer; as did he. He nodded against her forehead.

"And...I'm just...using you to cling to that love..." Edward gently tightened his grip on her hands, not wanted to let go, despite what he was trying to do all over again. Kyra smirked and laid her forehead on his shoulder.

"I don't believe you." she whispered, closing her eyes.

Flames spread across Edward's body as Kyra's slow warm breaths grazed across the bare skin of his chest. He released her wrists and slowly glided his ice cold hands up along the warm skin of her arms, longing to feel the gentle skin of her lips brush against his the same way.

"Good..." he whispered.

Kyra lifted her head and looked up into his eyes. Edward brought his hand to her cheek and leaned closer to her. Kyra's face flushed as she closed her eyes, the feel of his icy breath on her face got her heart beating even faster.

There was a faint noise in the other room. Edward sighed. "I knew I would have to let you go eventually..." He missed her lips to kiss her forehead and whispered 'Be Safe' into her ear.

The sound of her door swinging open made Kyra jump. She opened her eyes. Nicole was standing in her doorway and Edward was gone once again.

--

_Author's Note__: Read&Review! ^^  
_


	15. Violet Wind

_Author's Note__: I used the actual weather in Volterra for 11-15-08...that's when I started to write this..._

--

Chapter 15: Violet Wind

Nicole walked into Kyra's room, pouting. Kyra put her hands down and cleared her throat. Nicole arched an eyebrow, wondering what she had just been doing. She quickly shrugged it off.

"Kyra...Damien is back and he wants to check out some kind of architectural places...with us!" she sounded less than excited about this.

"Okay...have fun." Kyra said, turning to the television and pressing the power button on the remote.

"Yeah right! Like _that's _possible!" she groaned. "Well..." she sounded slightly happier. "It _is_ a great opportunity to learn a lot about the history of Volterra and...OKAY!! I'm trying to look at the bright side and sadly there isn't one..."

Kyra sighed.

"Ugh...anyway...get dressed."

"I'm gonna stay here."

"Stay here?" she repeated in the form of a question. "Why?"

"Um..." Kyra hesitated. "Because."

"Ugh...you aren't still waiting for that boy to show up, are you?"

Kyra looked up at Nicole and sighed. Upon returning her eyes to her lap, she began playing with her fingers.

Nicole sat down on the bed and whimpered. "Please, please, please, _pa-lease _come with us. I can't go there and pretend to not be bored if you aren't there pretending not to be bored with me!"

Kyra squinted. "Wow, that made perfect sense." she nodded, her voice thick with sarcasm.

"So...are you coming?"

"No, I'm not."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?!"

No!"

"_Ple-he-hease_?"

"Fine."

"Yes!" Nicole jumped off the bed.

Kyra sighed and walked over to her closet. _'I guess it couldn't hurt to go with them...Something tells me Edward wasn't coming back anyway...'_

"Um..." Kyra turned to Nicole. "Can I...pick out your outfit?" Nicole asked, walking over to her. Kyra shrugged and stepped out of the way. Nicole smiled and clapped her hands together. She opened Kyra's closet and pulled out a white tee with a V neckline, a pink scarf, gray wide-leg pants, a matching gray short jacket with long sleeves and black boots.

Nicole held up the outfit, smiling. Kyra nodded slowly. "I like it..." Kyra smiled weakly.

"Cool...I'm gonna wear that gold dress I bought." Nicole said, skipping away. Damien was standing in the doorway.

"But it's 52 degrees out there...'under partly cloudy skies. Wind west southwest at 10 to 15 miles per hour.' " he smiled.

Nicole shrugged rolling her eyes. "Fine, Weather Channel, I'll wear a jacket." she said, starting to leave.

"Hey Nicole..." Damien asked, stepping in front of her once she was at the door. "Why did you decided to come here at the beginning of the school year?"

"Because of the weather...I didn't want to come here if it would be too hot." she said with a smile before she left to go change. Damien shrugged and left as well. He still couldn't bring himself to look Kyra in the face.

-

Kyra walked down the front steps of the hotel slowly with one hand on the railing. When she came to the last step, she stretched and looked up at the cloudy gray sky. It reminded her of Seattle, where she sometimes wished she'd never left.

Nicole stepped out as well. She was wearing the golden dress that she bought the first day they arrived, like she said she would, and over it she wore a short white long sleeved jacket. She climbed slowly down the stairs while filing her nails.

Damien left at the same time and was standing right behind her. He wore loose jeans and a white T-shirt, very casual. He was holding a map and scanning it closely, he then looked up.

"There are some houses I wanted to see, too."

"Oh. Joy." Nicole said, extending her hand to get a good look at her nails.

Kyra sighed. "Well...let's get this over with. Where to?"

"Right now I want to go to a house that this woman named Esme Cullen restored. Then, there's this clock tower-"

"Cullen?" Kyra repeated excitedly.

"You heard of her?" he asked without looking at her.

"Um...yeah...sort of..."

Damien shrugged and led the girls to the car. Nicole got in on the passenger side after Damien got behind the wheel. Kyra opened the side door then stopped, feeling a chill up her spine.

She turned slowly. There in the alley just across the street was a woman wearing tight revealing clothes that had pale skin and eyes that were a rare shade of violet. She could see a clear smile on the woman's face. Kyra turned away quickly and got in the car. When she turned back, the woman was gone.

Kyra bit her lip nervously and sighed before strapping on her seatbelt.

--

_Author's Note__: Read&Review. ^.^_


	16. Premonition

_Author's Note: Sorry this took longer than I expected. I had a lot more quizzes and test to study for than I thought. My next chapter should be up in a day or two._

_--  
_

Chapter 16: Premonition

There was an emptiness inside of him, one that grew with every second he spent away from Kyra. He had been driving around for a while, content with his decision on how to leave things. He knew the hole would not last long in either of them. He also knew that deciding not to kiss her was better, knowing how much harder it would have been if he had.

Edward felt two things: guilt, for feeling stronger now than he had when he left Bella, and the other...he would not admit, to himself or anyone else. Finally, he stopped driving around in circles and headed towards the house.

The arrival was much too short. The second he was in the driveway, the car was off and he was on his way into the heavy forests behind the mansion.

--

"Here it is." Damien said proudly, parking behind a silver Volvo. He climbed out of the front seat of the car, followed by Nicole. Damien shut his door and looked around. It was absolutely beautiful.

"Wow." Nicole said nodding, with a hint of admiration in her voice and facial expression. "Now _this_ is a mansion."

Kyra stepped out slowly. Her face lit up. Of course. As handsome as he was, he had to live somewhere beautiful.

"Doesn't look like anyone's home..." Damien sighed, straining his eyes to look into the glass windows of the kitchen and the upstairs rooms.

"There are two cars in the driveway!" Nicole sighed, motioning to the silver Volvo S60R and the red BMW M3 convertible.

"Yeah, but...seven people live here...and I don't see any of them."

"How do you know?" Nicole scoffed.

"I spoke to Esme Cullen. We talked for a while. She and her husband have 5 adopted teenagers."

"Wow...I can't even stand having one sibling." Nicole muttered. "Those poor kids."

Damien rolled his eyes. "It's complicated though. Four of the kids are in relationships with each other."

"Weird..." Nicole nodded.

"Not 'weird.' " Damien argued. "Just...complicated..."

"Welcome." A woman strolled over to them. Her blond hair was long and wavy and her eyes were a light gold color, light only slightly visible bruises under them. She walked with such grace.

"Mrs. Cullen?" Damien asked, stunned. Her voice greatly promoted her beauty in his mind but she was so much more than he could ever imagine. The woman nodded in response.

"Esme, please." she insisted.

"Esme." he smiled. "Your house is just..." Damien didn't know if he was talking about the house or this woman. "...stunning."

"Thank you."

"Excuse me." Kyra asked suddenly. "Is…Edward…here?"

Nicole and Damien turned to her in confusion.

"He went for a stroll...but I suppose you can wait up in his room. First door to the right upstairs." she smiled, as if suddenly she knew exactly who Kyra was.

"Thank you." Kyra hurried towards the house.

Damien took a step forward but Kyra was already a good distant away. He looked at Esme. She simply smiled. "Would you like a tour?"

--

Edward walked through the forest surrounding the house with so many thoughts on his mind. After a while, he finally sighed and sat down on an old stone bench.

Alice appeared, sitting next to him. She mentally apologized for following him.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked with a weak smile.

"Why ask when you already think you know?" he replied. His expression was warm and forgiving.

There was a short silence. His facial expression transformed completely. His lips pressed together in a hard line and his eyes were ice.

"No." Edward growled, standing up and walking away.

Alice followed him quickly. "It's fine if you are, as long as you're happy."

"I'm not."

"You don't have to tell the truth. I'll just ask Jasper."

Edward turned swiftly to glare at her but she had turned away.

"I understand why you won't admit it..."

"I...can't love her..."

"...why?"

"Because...I promised I would never...I don't deserve...It just seems like an invitation for more pain...for both of us...I can't relive the same hell I went through with Bella...I won't...Kyra has been through enough in her life...I won't put her through more..."

Alice walked up to him cautiously. She sighed and hugged him, trying to provide comfort.

"It hurts...the more time I spend with her...the harder it becomes to remain in control."

After a short while, Alice let go and looked up at him. "Maybe you two are exactly what you need."

When Edward looked at Alice again to object, she had a blank look on her face. He stepped forward.

Flashes of an ancient Italian structure very familiar to her flooded her mind. A reception room. White walls surrounded her. A girl with blue eyes and long blond hair. A boy with the same eyes and short blond hair. A girl with green eyes and light brown hair. Alice knew this was Kyra. Unfortunately, these three were walking alongside a man she knew to be Aro, a Volturi leader, and Heidi, the Volturi vampire that led humans to be killed.

Alice blinked, then looked up at Edward. By the look on his face, she didn't have to explain what she saw. He took a step back. His head quickly jerked towards the house.

"What is it?" Alice stepped forward.

"Kyra...she's at the house." he said quickly before racing towards it.

--

_Author's Note: Read&Review! ^_^_


	17. Reunion

_Author's Note: Took longer than I expected, sorry...but here it is ^_^ It might be slightly longer than usual...Also, I'm really sorry I haven't been replying to reviews. With winter break around the corner and the first semester almost over it's very hectic...  
_

_--  
_

Chapter 17: Reunion

Kyra slowed her pace once she was through the front door, taking in the ornate staircase and the furniture's refreshing color scheme, as well as the old paintings and the family pictures decorating the walls, giving this coven of vampires an identity of false normality.

At the bottom of the stairs, she quickened her pace once again, following Esme's direction to Edward's room. Once in front of it, she froze. Putting a hand on the door, she wasn't sure if she was frozen with the fear that he might be inside, or fear that he might _not_ be inside.

When she opened up the door she sighed, neither in relief nor disappointment; it was simply because, though she had not realized, she had stopped breathing. At this moment she didn't know how to feel. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it for a moment, scanning the room.

There was a television, a very large, very expensive looking one, on the sidewall. There was also a stereo system and a whole library of music. Besides the posters on the walls, the only other thing in here was a modern white couch.

Kyra pushed herself off of the door slowly, walking to the center of the room. She skimmed through the labels on the sides of the CD cases along the shelves noticing the conversion from old to new music ranging from classical to alternative rock. When a number of the cases shifted and her hair was blown to the side, she lifted her head towards the window, smiling at the boy before her.

He moved towards her slowly but before anything was said or done, the door of his room swung open.

Kyra turned. "Damien." she muttered in annoyance.

He didn't answer. He didn't even look at Kyra; he was too busy looking at the creature standing behind her.

"_You_?" he sneered. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I live here." Edward was tense, taking a careful step forward. Kyra turned towards him.

"Great." Damien sighed.

Edward balled his hands into fists.

"Edward, don't." she whispered, pleading. He stopped immediately.

"Let him try!" Kyra turned to glare at Damien. "Tell me why I shouldn't punch this guy in the face!"

"Because you'd probably break all your fingers." she whispered.

Alice entered the room and touched Damien's shoulder. When their eyes met, his facial expression completely changed to a dazzled sort of trance. "Let's finish that tour." she smiled.

Damien could not even talk. He just nodded idiotically and left the room. Alice turned to Edward and smiled.

_'Your welcome.'_ she thought, closing the door behind her.

Kyra sighed and turned back to Edward, about to respond but she was captured in his arms. Once again, she could not move and she could not breathe, mostly from the shock.

They remained in each others' embrace for a short while before he pushed himself away and took her face in his hands. He traced her face with his thumbs and pushed her hair behind her ears. He then ran his hands from her face to her shoulders, down her arms and wrists, then took her hands in his.

"You're safe." he stated

Kyra nodded. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head. "You and your friends must leave."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"You all have to leave Volterra."

"We were planning on leaving tomorrow. I thought I told you-"

"No!" he interrupted, tightening his grip on her. "You have to leave **_today_**. It's not safe for tourists here and you may be next."

Kyra blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"You're in danger and you _must_ leave."

Kyra sighed. "Tomorrow. That's when our plane leaves."

Edward sighed. "Then...stay here...I can protect you..."

"Damien would never-"

Edward sighed. "I know, I know...then go straight back to the hotel from here and stay there!"

"But-"

"Promise me you will."

"I...I'll try to convince Damien..."

Edward didn't seem to like that answer but he let go of her.

Kyra looked down. Her wrists were red. "Ow..." she muttered shaking out her hands. She looked up at Edward. He was backing away with an apologetic and horrified look in his eyes.

"No, Edward. It's fine, don't-"

"I'm sorry." he whispered.

Edward backed into the window just as the sun escaped from behind the clouds. A slit of sunlight hit the skin of Edward's arm. He lifted his sparkling hand, turning to his palm, then looked at Kyra. She smiled, slowly beginning to walk closer.

He took a step forward unwillingly and the sun hit his face. Kyra walked up to him and touched his cheek. He flinched away and she pulled her hand back, only to return it.

"It looks like the sun showered you in glitter or something...it's like...diamonds..." she chuckled. "Wow..."

Edward shook his head at her fascination. "Kyra...I'm a murderer..."

"I'm told murderers don't wear glitter." she chuckled.

"Successful ones do..." he said, taking her hand gently, removing it from his face. "Their beauty leads you in..." he whispered. "...alluring you...until...unexpectedly," he took her, before she could blink her back was against the door, his hand around her neck once again. "They strike."

Kyra's breathing was uneven from the shock of her attack but it returned to normal almost automatically. Her jade eyes peered into his gold ones. She was trying to hold in her fear for Edward's sake and succeeded in smiling weakly, yet somehow convincingly.

Edward released her neck slowly but did not back away. He simply closed his eyes and hung his head.

"You know...I promised I would not do this..."

"What?"

He was silent for a second.

"Do what?" she asked again in a whisper.

He was hesitant. "...fall in love with a human..." Kyra smirked.

"Is that what you did?"

"Yes...and I should not have...this is dangerous...for you...for both of us...for all of us..."

"Don't I have a say in it?"

"Unfortunately...you do."

There was a long silence.

"My sister...Alice...thinks that this is okay as long as I'm happy...Jasper told me that my feelings for you are stronger than anything he has ever felt...I haven't told Rosalie or Emmett...he would probably laugh...but Rosalie...she would....talk my ear off about things I already know...like the danger to you and to our safety...then, she'd send me on a guilt trip, pointing out everything that happened with Bella."

Kyra looked down. "Is _that_ her name..."

"Yeah..." Edward backed away.

Kyra nodded, sighing. "...you still love her." she stated.

"You still love _him_...even after what he did..."

"I've put his 'leaving' behind me..."

Edward exhaled sharply. "Yeah." he crossed his arms and looked away. "He left."

Kyra nodded and started to look away.

"But he came back...did he not?"

She swallowed and turned to him. "How," she cleared her throat, "how much to you know?"

Edward turned to her slowly. "Everything." he enunciated each syllable. "Damien...warned me not to do the same...in thought..."

Kyra sighed, bringing her hand to her forehead and up through her hair. "He was drunk..."

"I know." he said sternly. "Does that justify it in _your _mind?"

"No but-"

"You're defending him."

"No, I-"

"I wish you hadn't burned everything of his. Maybe I would have something to track him with. "

"I didn't come here to discuss _this_ with you...will you listen to yourself?" she said taking a few steps forward.

Edward sighed and looked away.

Kyra was glaring but her face changed upon realization. "You're...doing it again..."

His face changed to disappointment and slight relief, whether he was aware or not. "Doing what?"

"Trying to...push me away...make it seem like you're hurting me...to make it easier."

"Easier for who?" he asked, turning to her. He seemed hurt.

"You were...really just going to let me leave...weren't you..."

A long silence passed. Kyra walked over to him.

"I...don't think I would have left." Kyra whispered looking down. "Not without a proper goodbye _at least_."

"I thought I'd given you one."

Kyra nodded and sighed.

He hesitated. "Goodbye...there...will you be able to leave now? Are you satisfied?" he asked.

Kyra did not answer. That was not what she desired now. Twice he had tried to kiss her but was too afraid; now it was her turn. Slowly, Kyra leaned into him, half expecting him to disappear into nothingness; however, across from her Edward was leaning in as well. He looked like he was in pain, but he could not pull himself away.

There was nothing Kyra wanted more than for Edward to forget he was not human; for him to just experience the lust he desired from her without being afraid that she was in danger of dieing just by standing next to him.

There was fire in his chest. He slowly brought his hands to her waist as they rested their forehead's against each other. He felt her flinch under his palms and her heart beat faster as he slid his hands to her back.

He allowed Kyra's lips to gently touch his. She respected the limitations she knew were present and began to back away but he would not let the moment pass. As she backed away, he leaned closer until she was completely stationary against the room door. Edward turned the kisses from slow and passionate to fast and full of lust, which Kyra willingly followed. He pressed his body against hers. Kyra slid her hands up his arms to rest on his shoulders.

Edward did not even think about the consequences. There was nothing. No desire to kill her, just the desire to keep her. At this moment, Kyra made him feel almost human.

Kyra and Edward were oblivious to their surroundings. As Kyra let go of trying to fulfill his desires and clung to her own, Edward slipped from humanity.

His eyes became black and venom began to develop in his mouth. He moved his hands from her back to the door frame and pushed against it to force himself away. In a flash he was at the window, kneeling at the windowsill. He was breathing hard and his eyes were shut tightly, gripping the wooden frame. His fingers slowly sank into the slitting wood.

Kyra took a careful step forward but Edward rose his hand behind him. "Don't!" he said without turning. She nodded and stepped back against the door again. She looked at the door, her arms brushing over a discrepancy, to see dents made by Edward's hands.

Edward swallowed and Kyra sighed. "I'm sorry..." they spoke simultaneously.

"Kyra...you have to go..."

She attempted to move forward so he cringed and inched himself as far away as possible.

"Please..." he whispered shaking his head.

Kyra bit her lip and closed her eyes before opening the door as slightly as possible and gliding through. Though she tried to close the door as carefully as possible, her scent still blew towards him. Before heading down the stairs, Kyra heard a whimper from his room.

--

_Author's Note: Read and Review ^_^_


	18. Fatal Decisions

_**Author's Note**__**: **I am sorry this is so late. Thank you for your patience. My life has been hectic and I wasn't getting any type of inspiration. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint._

_--  
_

Chapter 18: Fatal Decisions

Kyra gazed out the window of the car as Damien sped out of the wide forests that hid the Cullen Mansion from the rest of the world. Her eyes were locked onto the large white house until the trees completely consumed it.

For miles, Damien continuously peered at Kyra through the rear view mirror. He finally sighed and started conversation.

"Why did you want to leave so soon…what did Cullen do to you?" he asked in a brotherly way. This was one of the many reasons Kyra did not share his type of feelings. To her, Damien was an older brother or a father figure. He _was_ technically her guardian.

"Nothing…let's just get back to the hotel..." Kyra smiled weakly.

Damien shook his head and continued to drive.

When Kyra finally looked out of the window again, she saw buildings and structures that were unfamiliar to her. She looked around in a slight panic before leaning up to Damien and Nicole.

"What are you doing? Where are we?"

"The Palazzo dei Priori." Nicole said proudly.

Kyra blinked. "What?"

"Clock Tower."

"I know what it means. That's the only Italian phrase I knew. What I meant was, what are we doing here?"

"…I just thought that maybe I should take some pictures. Part of the deal was I had to create a presentation of my experience…otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten this trip excused." Kyra sighed and sat back in her seat.

"So when are we meeting that lady, Damien?"

"Soon. She said she'd be here today if the clouds came out…I guess she's scared of…tanning or something."

"I'm scared of tanning _the wrong way_. Like getting half your face done or something…that would totally creep me out."

Kyra's eyes widened slightly. "What lady?"

"Heidi…well…she never told me her last name…"

"What does she look like?"

"Why? You know her, too?"

"Maybe…what does she look like?"

"Um…she was…beautiful...like Alice Cullen…she had these weird purple eyes that were just…hypnotizing…"

Kyra leaned up to the front again. "Ca-can't you meet her later? Let's go back to the hotel. I don't feel too well…" It wasn't exactly a lie. There _was_ an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Stay and rest in the car. We'll be back before you know it." Damien stepped out of the car. Kyra hadn't even noticed that they had parked Nicole looked at Kyra, half turning around in the car seat to face her.

"Hey can you hand me my…camera bag…are you okay?"

"Um…y-yeah…why?"

"You seem all…panic-y that's all." Nicole sighed and put out her hand. Kyra gave her a look. "My camera?"

"Oh…" Kyra just looked at the bag then returned her gaze to Nicole. "Can we please just leave?"

"After I get my pictures of this place and some other 'historical landmarks.' "

"What?"

"Yeah." Nicole said pointing. "See that castle thing there. It's like really old or something…I don't know…that lady will show us around, and Damien can take the pictures."

"He said this would only take a minute!"

"You seriously need to like, take a chill pill." Nicole reached over and grabbed the bag herself before stepping out of the car.

"Nic-" Kyra's voice was cut off, even in her own ear, by the sound of the car door slamming closed. She sighed and sat back for a long moment before stepping out of the car herself. The wind picked up slightly and Kyra shoved her hands into her pockets.

Only a few seconds passed before the woman showed up. Kyra took a step back, glaring slightly at the woman for only a moment, which, if she was a vampire like Kyra suspected, she undoubtedly saw. The woman squinted at her for a moment, then turned to Damien.

"Hello, again."

"Hi." Damien said, chuckling nervously. And with hat single word, Damien sounded like an embarrassed four-year-old.

"I see you brought your friends." The woman's eyes glazed over Nicole and fell on Kyra. "Excellent…"

--

Alice, Edward, and Jasper were sitting outside the house. It had become unbearable for Edward within. Alice rubbed Edward's arm as if trying to comfort him. He was looking down at his lap.

"Nothing terrible happened…and they are all on their way to safety within the hotel…all is well…" Alice tried to smile convincingly, which obviously did not work.

"No…at some point I had decided."

Alice bit her lip.

"And you saw it…you had to have seen it…just like on the plane…"

"...I did…but the vision was wrong…my visions can change. I was watching with Jasper so that he might calm you if it came to that."

"It had come to that…but I did not feel a calm rush over me…it only came in small increments after Kyra was gone." Edward explained.

Alice looked to Jasper.

"Lust clouded his judgment…it is very difficult to remove lust to make way for content." Jasper explained. "And…" he was hesitant. "I…had to break my concentration…or I would have killed the girl myself."

Edward shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry…"

"I had forgotten-" Alice started.

"I felt as Edward did for the girl…her scent to him is…unbearable…" Jasper exhaled sharply. "His feelings the same."

There was a long silence. Finally, Edward sat up and looked to Alice.

"Has anything changed?"

Alice raised her hand, telling him to give her a moment. Her facial expression changed.

"They went off course…"

Edward was already running to his car before she finished speaking. Alice and Jasper followed, climbing into the back. As the car started and they sped down the road, Alice shook her head.

"We won't make it in time." She spoke as if it was a sure thing, and as of now, it was.

"Your visions can change…remember?" Edward said, not wanting to believe it.

"Kyra has decided…not to abandon her friends even though she knows that Heidi is a vampire and she knows what will happen."

"What?" Edward growled.

"She knows it is hopeless but still she will not leave them…she cannot bring herself to do such a thing. Would you?"

"So she chooses to die with them instead?!"

"It is a noble thing."

"It is an idiotic thing."

"If we get close enough, maybe I can change her feelings." Jasper suggested.

Alice glared at her feet as the car sped down the road, avoiding any and all cars. "…I cannot tell the outcome anymore. Perhaps she is second guessing herself."

"I never wanted this for her." Edward whispered.

Alice turned to him and sighed. "I do not think the Volturi even knows that we were in contact with her…or the fact that she knows who we are…they were just another group of tourists who have fallen under bad luck."

"And if Aro touches her…learns all she knows?" Edward finally turned his head to look at her.

"He will probably kill her anyway." Alice spoke with a high level of certainty.

"Or turn her…perhaps finding out what she knows and how you feel about her, he will turn her in hopes of acquiring your membership into the coven." Jasper pointed out.

"And Bella? If Aro touches Kyra, he'll learn about her as well. What will happen to Bella then?"

"…I don't have all the answers Edward. I don't know. I can't be sure of anything right now…" Alice closed her eyes and held her head. "But…I see Kyra as a clever girl. She'll stall until we arrive."

"And what happens once we arrive? We cannot fight off the Volturi. Kyra will die and if we try to stop them from killing her we will die as well." Jasper argued.

"Then what do you suggest?" Alice said, turning to him.

"I have never been so lost…" Edward whispered. "We have to do something."

"There may not be anything we _can_ do, Edward…please think this through." Jasper urged.

"Do NOT try to calm me down. I _am _being rational here. If I have to, I'll go in alone. Pledge my allegiance in exchange for Kyra's life."

"No. That isn't the answer." Alice snapped.

"It's the best we have come across thus far!" Edward said before turning back to the road. "I won't let her die…I won't…"

--

_**Author's Note**__: That's all. I will try my best to get the next chapter up, however, I have this "Sites of Memory" project due very soon and I have to start eventually. ^_^_


	19. Beginning of the End

Chapter 19: Beginning of the End 

Kyra sighed, tapping her foot and looking out at the road. Nicole sent a bright flash her way and Kyra jumped in response, blinking a few times. Nicole chuckled and lowered the camera with a shrug.

"I think that's good enough." Nicole said while handing the camera to her brother. He took it after a long pause and a roll of his eyes before turning to Heidi.

"Shall we?" she asked with a smile.

Damien nodded as the woman turned and started walking away. He and Nicole followed. When Damien stopped short, Nicole was forced to do the same, bumping into him. She grunted, walking around him. Damien sighed and turned to Kyra.

"Hey…you coming?"

She turned to the street again. An eerie silence seemed to consume the entire area. She sighed and turned back to her friends, nodding slowly without looking at anyone directly.

"Yeah…let's go…" she said in a slightly harsh tone, directed at Heidi. She seemed to falter for a fraction of a second.

Damien smiled widely and continued down the street. Kyra looked over her shoulder one last time before giving up hope and following them.

Heidi led them to a castle-like place with Ancient sienna walls and towers. A group of people with cameras and wide smiles were waiting there for their guide to return. Kyra shook her head slowly. She was the only one who knew what they were all getting into.

When the newest tourists joined the entire group, Heidi turned to them and addressed them as a whole. "Thank you all for joining me. We will meet our host inside. Please follow me."

She turned and began walking again. Everyone followed on cue with grunts and squeals of excitement. Kyra was in no way excited. She was afraid. She tried to steady her breathing before clinging to Damien's arm. He looked down at her.

"I'm sorry we pressured you. You could have waited in the car if you didn't feel well."

"Yeah." Kyra said sarcastically.

"You could have...we just-"

"I know that..."

"You should put your jacket back on."

Kyra wondered why he had said that and instantly, she realized that she was shaking. Damien gently tried to pull away which only made Kyra squeeze his arm. Having the feeling that once they were inside, they would never be seen again, she looked up at him. He arched his eyebrows, looking down at her.

"I forgive you, you know."

He blinked, but said nothing.

"I, um...just wanted you to know that..."

He smirked, no longer trying to push her away.

The group was led inside of a brightly lit office reception area. The walls around them were paneled in wood and the floors were swallowed by a thick, deep green carpeting. The room was void of windows, however, large, brightly lit paintings hung in their place. The room was furnished with pale couches and glassy tables equipped with crystal vases full of beautiful floral arrangements. In the center of the room, there was a high, polished, mahogany counter where a tall, dark skinned woman sat.

The place was nothing like Kyra pictured it from the outside. It was all very modern and very bright.

"Please wait here a moment." Heidi moved to the set of double doors in the back of the room and disappeared through them. The women behind the desk stood up introducing herself as Gianna.

"Welcome," was the only other thing she said before sitting down.

Kyra sighed and took a folded up piece of paper from her back pocket. She did not unfold it, she simply held it tightly.

In no time at all, Heidi reappeared with a tall man whose skin was paper white. He wore long black robes that brushed against the floor as he walked, making his movements look so fluent and graceful. His eyes were crimson and his long hair was jet black. All of this gave him a ghostly appearance.

"Welcome everyone. My name is Aro. Follow me and we shall begin." He turned to Heidi. "Well done." Heidi had a proud, appreciated look on her face.

Aro smiled and nodded, motioning Kyra to follow Nicole, Damien, and the other tourists inside what Aro referred to as the 'dining room' with an amused smirk. Kyra nodded back without smiling and stepped forward just as her friends had.

It was quite obvious that Kyra was nervous and felt uneasy about this whole thing. Knowing this, Aro put a hand on her shoulder, trying to send her a false reassurance of her safety.

As his hand accidentally made contact with the bare skin of her shoulder, due to the wideness of her collar, all her past thoughts and memories rushed into his mind. Everything she had seen, everything she knew, and a talent that she had, which was a mystery even to her, had just been revealed to him.

His touch made Kyra wince, causing her to drop the paper which she clung so tightly to throughout her entire time in this mysterious place.

Kyra was frozen. Her stomach turned. She did not know what exactly but something important has just happened. She could feel it. Something had just saved her life, for the time being.

Aro bent down and picked up the piece of paper, a motion Kyra did not expect.

"May I?" he asked waving the paper in the air.

Kyra remained still. He took this inaction as a 'yes' and slowly unfolded the paper in his hands, revealing a very accurate, very detailed picture of the vampire he was most anxious to meet again.

"Edward," he said nodding. His voice was full of admiration.

"You-" Kyra was once again able to move. The sound of his name gave her some of the strength she had lost. "You know him?"

"Yes. We've met before...however, I do not think his eyes were this green color."

"Well...they're not..."

"Really? Then may I ask why you-"

Jane exited the dining room. "Our guests are waiting," she interrupted with a wide smirk, aimed at Kyra.

"A thousand apologies but I must speak with Kyra alone."

Jane glared in disappointment and confusion as Aro turned back to Kyra.

"You don't mind." It was a statement.

Kyra unwillingly shook her head, afraid to refuse the request, if you could call it that.

"Excellent. Come. We have much to discuss."

Aro began walking down the long white corridor in front of them. Kyra took a step then turned her head towards the room that her friends disappeared into.

"_I'll _give them your farewell." Jane smirked, stepping in front of the door.

Kyra nodded, though she was not comfortable with that. She looked at the door a long time before she turned in the direction that Aro disappeared into. Jane sighed, then she opened the door, looking at the humans before her. She turned to the ones that arrived with the brown-haired girl.

"Sadly, your friend will not be joining us," she said before slamming the door behind her.

Kyra came to a large decorative door, which Aro held open for her. She hesitated, but walked through anyhow. It wasn't like she had a choice.

Aro shut the door behind him and motioned to the seat in front of his desk. As she walked over to the chair sluggishly, she could swear that she could hear faint screams coming from down the hall.

She looked over at the door in response to hearing the noise, then returned her attention to Aro, who now sat behind the desk.

Out of habit, Kyra pulled her legs into her chest defensively, wrapping her arms around them.

"So...you drew this picture?"

"Yes..." Kyra replied quietly.

"Fascinating..." Aro looked up at her. "Do you know what he is?"

Kyra looked down. "_What_ he is?"

"What we all are."

She looked up. "You..."

Aro smirked. "But, of course, you knew that."

Kyra nodded, trying hard not to make eye contact. "Where are Nicole and Damien? I want to see them."

"Let us not cling to past friendships...you should be grateful that I did not allow you to join them."

Kyra knew what that meant, but she could not cry or show any other emotion. Fear was all she knew. She suddenly knew exactly where they were now and she knew whom she sat before. This was the Volturi leader that Edward spoke to her about. She was in a place filled with murderous vampires, her only family was dead, and she was wishing, now more than ever, that Edward was there beside her.

_**Author's End Note**: Sorry for the long wait guys. Tell me what you think and if you see any mistakes, pointing them out would be a great help. ^_^_


	20. Ultimatum

Chapter 20: Ultimatum  
Before Edward could bring the car to a full stop, as they were instructed, Alice and Jasper had forced their doors opened and were running toward the crumbling sienna structures that Edward never wished to visit again. He swerved and somehow parked the car without injuring it, himself, or anyone else. He cut the engine and followed; together the three of them entered through the same doors that Kyra had only five minutes ago. The woman at the desk stood at the abruptness of their entrance.

"Hey, you can't-"

Edward silenced her with a hiss and she immediately returned to her seat, shaking. Never will she forget the intense look in his eyes—anger and hatred tinged with sorrow.

Aro smirked, and shifted himself as the three Olympian vampires entered the throne room. Next to him sat Marcus, a vampire with similar features aside from his wavy hair, and Caius, whom, sitting beside the other two, looked out of place with his shoulder-length white hair. Surrounding the three leaders were six others, the Volturi guard. Edward scanned the room, making a mental note of their movements and positions. Toward the outside were two male vampires, Demetri on the left, a tall, lean vampire with dark brown shoulder length hair, and Felix, a very big, tall, burly vampire with short, cropped black hair. The next two were female. They were standing on either side of Aro's throne. To the right of him was Chelsea, a tall elegant beauty, and to the left was Renata, the only one of the Volturi that seemed tense, clutching the side of Aro's throne. The last set, who stood toward the center, closer to the entrance of the room, were Jane and Alec, Aro's most prized possessions. They looked very young. The one on the right was a petite little girl with pale brown hair and a sadistic look in her eyes. The one on the left was taller than his twin sister and had darker, brown shoulder-length hair. He seemed the more lively of the two, though that sadism shone in his eyes as well; those piercing, crimson eyes showing evidence of a fresh feed.

"You missed dinner." Alec smirked.

"Where is she?" Edward demanded, disregarding Alec and taking his place between Alice and Jasper.

Aro said nothing, a blank expression decorating his face. Edward faltered, taking a deep breath and trying to compose himself. "You touched her..."

"Fond of humans now, are you?" Aro laughed, sitting up. "What is it about these two that makes you so," he paused, searching for a word, "murderous?"

"What will you do now?" Edward continued, ignoring his questions, clearly frustrated.

The Volturi leader sighed, getting to his feet. "Let us get right to it then..."

The doors behind him opened and Heidi walked through, leading Kyra inside. Edward fidgeted."Kyra..."

She smiled weakly before following Heidi to stand beside Aro. He nodded and Heidi moved to stand with the others. All was silent. Edward looked to Alice. She shook her head without looking at him. Nothing was decided, or close to being so.

_'Bella, Kyra, Kyra, Bella...I wonder...which of them means more to you...?' _Jane smirked, not intimidated by Edward's responsive hiss in the least.

"This child," Aro began, stroking her cheek, which she did not dare flinch away from, "is blessed with a peculiar gift. She can see and sometimes relive the memories of others. That ability, I've been told, can develop quite fascinatingly...if she were to become one of us."

"_Out_ of the question!" Edward growled.

Jane stepped forward defensively, glaring. "He is not quite finished. Do not interrupt again."

Edward felt waves of calm sweep over him and he immediately looked to Jasper. His brother shook his head slightly.

_'She is very serious, Edward...' _Jasper thought. He picked up an intense hostility that acted as Edward's response, which made Jasper flinch. _'Edward please...think of Alice...and Kyra...we are terribly outnumbered and outmatched. Do as they say...'  
_

The bronze-haired vampire sighed, turning to Aro. The man nodded with a smile. "Excellent, let us move on. It has come to my attention that, upon becoming a vampire, this girl would have the power to manipulate one's memories in a variety of ways: erasing them, allowing you to recall them, or even creating false memories."

"Excuse me," Edward said politely, well, as politely as he could manage anyway, "may I interrupt?" Jane took a half step forward but Aro put his hand out to stop her, allowing Edward to continue. "I don't see how this information benefits or even relates to any of this."

"I gather that all will become clear very soon. I have decided to give you a choice, Edward Cullen."

"A choice..."

"It is...impossible for me to look the other way while two unstable human girls know our secret...so...with the information of this girl's power revealed to us, I am willing to make a compromise."

The three Olympian vampires tensed.

"Choice one...both humans die."

Edward clenched his teeth together, watching Kyra close her eyes tightly as she swallowed her fear.

"Choice two...both humans are turned."

Edward was confused and angry, refusing to make sense of this for the fear of actually learning the truth.

"Choice three...we turn this girl and she erases the memories of the other..."

He was not angry anymore. Edward was furious.

_'...It's okay...' _Kyra thought, avoided all eye contact. _'Do what you need to...you can still save Bella.'_

"I won't..." he whispered in response.

"There is not a fourth choice...unfortunately..." Aro took Kyra's wrist. Edward looked into her eyes now. She was so afraid. Her entire body was trembling.

"No!" He rushed forward, leaving Alice and Jasper stunned. Inches away from the Volturi leader, he fell to the ground, forced there by Demetri and Felix. Renata stepped forward as Alice and Jasper moved to defend their brother. As she neared, they backed away, feeling oddly out of place. Edward squirmed ferociously under the strength of the two vampire guards. Aro shook his head with a sigh.

"That was not very polite," he smirked, turning to Jane. She smirked and turned to Edward.

"How I've longed to hear you beg for mercy."

He smirked. "I won't give you the satisfaction."

"Really?" She seemed angry and determined not excited, as she was seconds before. Edward waited but felt nothing. Without warning, Jane turned away from him. "I will hear him beg." She was talking to Kyra. The human gasped and backed away. Before anyone could say or do a thing, Kyra was crouched over on the floor. Her screams echoed through the building. Edward watched in pure shock and horror, yelling at Jane to stop. That displeased her and she simply continued, Kyra's screams growing louder. She did not want him to demand her to stop, she wanted him to beg.

Kyra held those screams for such a long time, her body convulsing as she tossed and turned in an attempt to escape the excruciating pain.

It felt as if all of her skin was dissolving away and all her muscles where tense and aching; like being burned, skinned, and crushed alive.

"Please...stop..." Edward pleaded, his body shaking with sobs though his eyes held no tears. Jane smirked, shaking her head slowly in response. "PLEASE!" Aro placed a hand on the small vampire's shoulder and the screaming finally came to an end. Edward looked up at Kyra and immediately wished he hadn't. She was staring right at him. No. _Through _him. Her eyes were blank and distant. Tears had traveled down her cheeks. Her body was still shaking and her breathing was uneven. It was then that he noticed the two vampires pinning him down were distracted and had loosened their grip on him. Edward pulled from their grip and scrambled to his feet, never actually standing up straight. He went to her, half sliding and half crawling there, pulling her into him defensively. "I'm sorry..." he whispered, stroking her hair. "I didn't think they'd...I'm so sorry..."

"It is time to make your choice, Edward."

Edward shook his head slowly. "I can't..."

Aro sighed, closing his eyes and gestured towards the others.

Edward was suddenly floating. Nothing was real. He was not able to see, hear, or even move. He realized that it was Alec that had taken his senses away. He could still, however, use his own power, and did so to tap into Kyra's mind. She was still shaken and her eyes were closed. Footsteps. High heels. Jane? Someone was lifting her wrist.

Alec suddenly released Edward and he could see again, frozen in horror; Alice and Jasper were still under the effects off Renata's shield, Demetri and Felix were holding him back, and Jane was staring straight at him, with a cynically satisfied look in her eyes, while she sank her teeth deep into the flesh of Kyra's right hand.

Aro finally opened his eyes again. _'And now you must choose.'_


End file.
